Board Chair Aakash Patel and CEO Dr. Fred Hicks call on Tampa Bay business leaders to treat early childhood education as workforce infrastructure

TAMPA, FL / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2026 / The Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (ELCHC), led by Board Chair Aakash Patel and CEO Dr. Fred Hicks, announced the Education of Young Children Summit: On Track to Kindergarten Readiness, presented by The Brink Foundation. The summit will be held on September 24, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Motor Enclave in Tampa, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, and community influencers to address one of the region's most urgent economic questions: how to ensure Hillsborough County's youngest learners enter kindergarten ready to succeed.

Currently, fewer than half of Hillsborough County children enter kindergarten fully prepared, a gap with long-term consequences for families, employers, and Tampa Bay's broader economy. The summit will frame early childhood education not as charity, but as workforce infrastructure, family stability, and a long-term economic development strategy.

Childcare as an Economic Issue

According to the Florida Chamber Foundation, childcare challenges cost Florida an estimated $5.38 billion annually, including $911 million in lost tax revenue and $3.47 billion in employer costs tied to turnover and absenteeism. The same report found that 64 percent of parents of young children missed work or class at least once in a three-month period because of childcare issues, and 15 percent left a job in the prior six months due to childcare challenges.

In Hillsborough County, infant care can cost as much as $12,000 per year, while pre-kindergarten care can exceed $8,000 annually, based on ELCHC community needs assessment data. Statewide, more than 281,000 working parents left the workforce in 2024, with childcare cited as the leading reason.

Leadership Perspective

"Early education is the beginning of the workforce pipeline," said Aakash Patel, Board Chair of the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County. "When a child enters kindergarten ready to learn, that child is more likely to read on grade level, stay engaged in school, and eventually contribute to the region's economy. But this is not only about children 15 years from now. It is about parents today. When childcare is unaffordable or unavailable, working parents miss work, reduce hours, or leave the workforce altogether. Business investment in early learning is a workforce strategy."

"Tampa Bay's long-term economic strength depends on productivity, talent, and family stability," said Dr. Fred Hicks, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County. "Early learning builds the human capital behind future productivity, and childcare access helps parents remain employed now. That makes early education both a short-term workforce solution and a long-term GDP strategy for our region."

Recognizing Six Years of City of Tampa Leadership

The summit will also recognize the City of Tampa for six consecutive years of matching-fund investment that has helped ELCHC provide childcare support to working families across Hillsborough County. Those dollars translate directly into parents remaining in the workforce, employers retaining talent, and children accessing stable early learning environments during the most critical years of brain development.

The Local Picture

The Tampa Bay Partnership's 2026 State of the Region report shows Tampa Bay improved in 39 of 61 updated indicators, with talent identified as a bright spot. However, early education indicators tell a more urgent story: the share of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in school decreased from 49.89 percent to 48.25 percent, kindergarten readiness sits just under 43 percent under the new benchmark, and third-grade reading improved to 55.40 percent. Affordability, access to quality providers, and instructor funding remain core challenges.

How Business Leaders Can Engage

Sponsorship opportunities are now available for Tampa Bay employers, philanthropists, and civic stakeholders interested in supporting kindergarten readiness, early literacy, and mini-scholarship programs targeting the pivotal VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten) year. Voluntary Prekindergarten is a Florida state program designed to prepare every child for kindergarten and build the foundation for educational success.

To learn more, register, or explore sponsorship, visit the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County at elchc.org and elchc.org/vpk.

About the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County

The Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (ELCHC) administers School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs and partners with families, providers, and the business community to ensure that every child in Hillsborough County has access to high-quality early learning. ELCHC works to strengthen kindergarten readiness, support working families, and build the foundation of Tampa Bay's future workforce.

Media Contact:
Dr. Fred Hicks
+17544223360
fhicks@elchc.org

SOURCE: Aakash Patel