The Sandbox: July 2026
Perspectives from the Board: Businesses Have a Vital Role to Play in ECE (with Kevin Beverly)
By Emma Covas
Kevin Beverly (left) and Emma Covas at the Alliance’s business roundtable in July 2026
I spent the summer as an intern with the Children’s Opportunity Alliance. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to people from every corner of Montgomery County, and I've realized how interconnected many of the systems that influence and rely on early care and education (ECE) really are. Recently, I sat down to talk with Alliance Board member Kevin Beverly, who previously served as President & CEO of Social & Scientific Systems. Kevin is a strong advocate for early investment in ECE initiatives, and our conversation helped to shine a light on the intersection of ECE and economic prosperity, and why the future of our county’s economy depends on creating a robust ECE system for all.
The following are excerpts from my conversation with Kevin:
What should ECE matter to the business community?
When families can’t afford or access high-quality child care, it’s an economic hardship for the entire community. When parents have to leave the workforce to care for children, businesses spend more on recruiting and training new employees. Businesses in Montgomery County should redirect their focus toward figuring out how to support employees to improve retention. An investment in families means less money spent on the constant cycle of rehiring, and ends up paying for itself. One good example of this is in Quebec, which has a $10-a-day child care program.
What do you say to people who believe we are already investing in education appropriately?
Many times, when people say “education,” they are thinking of the K-12 system. However, nearly 90% of a child's brain develops between the ages of 0 and 5. If we invest in these early years, we’re going to see the impact of that investment in the later years, in high school, college, and beyond. Otherwise, we end up playing catch-up once children enter school, which costs far more than an initial early investment that sets children up for success from the start.
Our current child care system isn’t really a system at all – it’s a patchwork held together by individual heroes, including underpaid educators, overextended families, and ECE advocates in the community. As a county, we have to be willing to admit that fixing this system means not relying solely on our heroes. We must rebuild the foundation of the system, so it supports and benefits everyone. This means investing money and resources. If we support children and families in these early years, more parents stay in the workforce, public schools spend less money on remediation, and our kids grow up with the tools they need to launch successful careers.
What can employers do to support ECE?
I want to see Montgomery County businesses advocating for ECE directly. Business leaders hold real political power, and they need to be vocal about the value of a high-quality ECE system. That includes advocating for higher wages for educators, simplifying the overly complex regulatory process for providers, and demanding increased budget transparency so that people understand how our public dollars are being spent. If we want to increase access to child care in our system, we need public policies that actively adapt to current needs, and businesses can push for this.
My conversation with Kevin left me with a clear understanding that our system can no longer rely on the hero mentality – we need a collective commitment to system reform. Treating child care like an afterthought isn't a neutral stance. It's a choice, and it's an expensive one.