Early Childhood Strategy: Public-Private Partnerships

This strategy involves collaboration between government entities (public sector) and private organizations, businesses, or individuals (private sector) to address the needs and challenges of delivering high-quality early childhood education and care servicesⁱ. These partnerships leverage the strengths and resources of both sectors to improve access, quality, and outcomes for young children and their familiesⁱⁱ. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become an increasingly effective strategy for drawing together the resources and know-how that are needed to expand and improve support and services in school readiness and early learningⁱⁱⁱ. In a very diverse ecosystem such as early care and education for children from prenatal to five years, achieving school readiness for all young children cannot be accomplished by any single entity. Thus, public-private partnerships can be an important conduit for bringing together diverse resources, perspectives, and expertise for:

• Funding and Financing: PPPs often involve joint financing arrangements where both public and private entities braid, blend^iv, or otherwise contribute resources to support ECE initiatives^v
• Service Delivery Models: PPPs may utilize a variety of service delivery models to provide early childhood education and care services. These models can include public provision of services with private sector involvement (e.g., contracting private ECE providers to deliver subsidized services), public subsidies for private early childhood programs such as the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), or collaborative initiatives between publicly funded providers (public schools, local government agencies or Head Start^vi) and private preschools.
• Quality Improvement Initiatives: PPPs can focus on enhancing the quality of early care and education through professional development^vii, training, and accreditation programs for early childhood educators. Private sector partners may offer expertise, resources, or technical assistance to support the implementation of evidence-based practices and quality standards in ECE programs^viii.
• Innovation and Technology: PPPs can facilitate the integration of innovative approaches and technologies into early childhood education^ix. Private sector partners may develop educational tools, digital platforms, or learning resources that enhance teaching and learning experiences for young children and educators. These innovations can help improve access, engagement, and outcomes in early childhood programs.
• Infrastructure Development: PPPs may involve collaborative efforts to expand and improve early childhood education infrastructure^x, such as building new early care and education facilities, renovating existing facilities, or providing access to safe and supportive learning environments for young children^xi. Public-private partnerships can leverage private sector expertise in construction, real estate development, and facility management to address infrastructure needs^xii.
• Community Engagement and Outreach: PPPs often engage with local communities, parents, and stakeholders to ensure that ECE initiatives are responsive to community needs and priorities^xiii. Private sector partners may support outreach efforts, parent education programs, and community-based initiatives to promote awareness, participation, and support for early childhood education.
• Evaluation and Monitoring: PPPs may involve monitoring and evaluation mechanisms^xiv to assess the impact and effectiveness of ECE programs and initiatives^xv. Public and private partners may collaborate on data collection, research, and evaluation activities to measure outcomes, identify areas for improvement, and inform decision-making.  

Although each public-private partnership is unique in its membership and structure^xvi, all share the following characteristics:  

• They bring together representatives from the public sector who derive their authority from federal, state, or local governmental entities; and representatives from the private sector (e.g., business, philanthropy, parents, community organizations) around shared goals^xvii.  
• Each partner contributes time, money, expertise, or other resources to the partnership.  
• Partners work together toward common goals or objectives.  
• Decision-making and management responsibilities are shared among the partners.

While these four criteria are essential for public-private partnerships, the structure, organization, and goals of such partnerships vary widely. For instance, while each partner contributes resources, the types and amounts will vary according to ability. Likewise, the extent of shared decision-making might depend on the resources and constraints of various partners, such as legal responsibility for oversight of public funds, fundraising capability, technical expertise, potential conflicts of interest, and other considerations^xviii.

Examples of public-private partnerships in early care and education^xix include:

• Corporate-sponsored childcare programs that provide or support subsidized ECE services for employees' children.
• University-sponsored childcare programs that provide or support subsidized ECE services for employees' and students’ children^xx.
• Philanthropic initiatives that support ECE through grants, scholarships, and capacity-building efforts.
• Collaborative initiatives between public schools, nonprofit organizations, and private preschools to expand access to high-quality preschool programs in underserved communities^xxi.
• Public-private partnerships that leverage private sector expertise in technology, marketing, or logistics to enhance early childhood education initiatives, such as online learning platforms, educational apps, or distribution networks for educational materials.

Programs and Practices Within This Strategy

• Employer-based child care benefits  
• Local Coalitions
• Community centers
• Blending/braiding funds and resources  
• Home visitation
• Maternal and child health and wellness (coming soon)
• Developmental screenings and assessments
• Community centers  

See it in Action

• Kentucky Child Care Assistance Partnership ‍
• Michigan Tri-Share Pilot Program ‍
• Kentucky Preschool Quality Partnership Grant
• ECE Employer Roadmap‍
• University of Louisville Early Learning Campus ‍
• Bright Horizons/ Toyota Child Development Center