Employers for Childcare Task Force (E4C) is a non-partisan, diverse group of business leaders who are working together to develop and advocate for public policy reforms to expand working families’ access to affordable, quality childcare in Texas. E4C was launched by the Texas Restaurant Association, Early Matters Texas, Texas Association of Business, and Texas 2036. We are actively recruiting members.

Join E4C

 

E4C Members

• Abilene Chamber of Commerce
• Aldaco's
• Austin Chamber of Commerce
• Bastrop Chamber of Commerce
• Brennan's of Houston
• Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce
• Burton Insurance Agency
• Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce
• Cisneros Restaurants, Inc.
• Clementine
• Coterra Energy
• Council for a Strong America
• The County Line BBQ
• Dallas Regional Chamber
• Den-Tex Central, Inc. dba Denny's Franchise Restaurants
• Early Matters
• Economic Growth Business Incubator
• EWM / Local Restaurant Success
• Extraco Banks
• Feges BBQ
• Fertitta Entertainment
• Flyrite Chicken
• Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce
• Freebirds World Burrito
• The Gambrinus Company (Shiner Beers)
• George's Restaurants
• Grace - Fort Worth
• Greater Houston Partnership
• Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce
• HattenLuke Hospitality Group
• Holt Group
• Imperative Information Group
• Kerbey Lane Cafe
• Lee County EMS
• Linder Connect
• L'Oca d'Oro & Bambino
• Lone Star Economic Alliance (LSEA)
• Longview Chamber of Commerce
• Mac's on Main and Mac's Bar & Grill
• Meringue Me
• Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce
• New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce
• NFIB Texas
• North Texas Commission
• Odessa Chamber of Commerce
• Opportunity Austin
• The Original Pancake House DFW
• Orlando's Enterprises / Caprock Restaurants
• The Pelican House Restaurant
• Permian Strategic Partnership
• Philanthropy Advocates
• Pinthouse Pizza
• Raising Up Rural
• Samsung Austin Semiconductor
• San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce
• Sandy Dochen
• Sugar Beet Kitchen
• Texas 2036
• Texas Association of Business
• Texas Association of Manufacturers
• Texas Association of Staffing
• Texas Business Leadership Council
• Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute
• Texas Hospital Association
• Texas Hotel and Lodging Association
• Texas Instruments
• Texas Mutual Insurance Company
• Texas Restaurant Association
• Texas Retailers Association
• Texas Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Texas Travel Alliance
• Thirty 5ive Tavern & Grill, Manhattan Heights Tavern & Grill, Border City Ale House, and Hudson's Grill
• Three Brothers Bakery
• Tom Hedrick
• Traveler's Table
• USLege
• VRV Public Relations
• Zero Degree Creations

Why We Created E4C

• Texas’ lack of affordable, quality childcare is an acute issue harming our state’s economy, education system, and workforce. Texas’ economy loses over $9 billion every year due to inadequate childcare.
• Only half of Texas students enter kindergarten ready, and even then, only 39% meet reading benchmarks by the end of third grade. Students who are not reading by third grade are four times less likely to graduate high school, worsening Texas’ labor shortage.
• Employer-provided childcare benefits show one of the highest returns on investment, with companies seeing a 90% to 425% ROI from improved retention and reduced absenteeism. 
• 60% of non-working parents say childcare is the top reason they do not participate in the workforce.

Member Benefits

Joining E4C is good for your business and for your community. 

• By becoming a member, you will gain access to valuable information, data, ideas, and networking that you can use to strengthen your existing workforce and your recruitment process.
• Joining E4C will provide you with the opportunity to help shape high-quality policies that will directly benefit your company and your employees.
• Joining E4C signals to your employees, customers, and suppliers that you are taking a proactive approach to invest in employee and community wellbeing.
• Finally, joining E4C strengthens the momentum behind efforts to expand access to affordable, quality childcare in Texas. This will benefit our state for years.

Eligibility

Business associations, chambers of commerce, individual businesses, and business leaders are invited to join, as long as the entity or individual is not directly engaged in the childcare industry. 

Although childcare providers and government leaders are not eligible to join E4C as members, E4C will actively solicit feedback from these stakeholders and so we invite you to join us as an ally. 

Learn More About Our Work

• E4C's 2025 Texas Legislative Session Wins & Next Steps
• E4C's Blueprint for the 2025 Texas Legislative Session
• Austin American Statesman op-ed, Texas Legislature must act on affordable child care for the future of our state
• Dallas Morning News op-ed, Child care needs to be a priority to keep Texas’ economic edge
• Texas Tribune, Child care costs in Texas pose a major challenge. These panelists discussed potential solutions.
• Fort Worth Star-Telegram, A $9.4B loss: Texas restaurants, businesses pursue child care reform with economic lens
• Nation’s Restaurant News, Childcare is the complex issue the restaurant industry is not talking about enough. How the Texas Restaurant Association is addressing one of the top turnover issues in the restaurant industry with its new Employers for Childcare Task Force.

Questions? Please reach out to Kelsey Erickson Streufert, TRA’s Chief Public Affairs Officer, at [email protected].

 

Join E4C