Come to most any Chamber event where CEO Joe Snell is speaking, and you’re almost guaranteed to hear him talk about the issue of affordable and accessible childcare as a Chamber priority. 

And he’s not alone. 

“The ability to recruit and retain top talent is more important than ever and childcare is key to solving many of the workforce challenges that Arizona businesses face.” 

That’s Danny Seiden, head of the Arizona Chamber, at a Child Care Forum with First Things First, in 2024. 

Why, over the last few years, has affordable childcare become not just an issue of importance advocated by educators and nonprofits, but an issue championed by the business community so loudly and intentionally? And, what are we going to do about the lack of affordable, accessible childcare?

Monica Brinkerhoff, Associate Vice President for Early Childhood Education at your United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, has spent a 30-year career working on just that. Monica and The United Way have been longtime partners of The Chamber in this space, and now specifically the United Way and The Chamber are a part of a cohort of 5 Counties around the US working together across sectors this year to solve how we expand the supply of affordable childcare. 

Tune in to hear Zach and Monica's full conversation!