Baby talk: Business leaders say state's future workforce is at risk

The coronavirus pandemic has renewed focus on the importance of early childhood education and child care. With schools and child-care centers closed, working parents struggled to care for and educate their children at home while also trying to do their jobs effectively.  

Seeing that situation, a group of Florida business leaders calling themselves Bosses for Babies are championing the need for additional support for the state’s young children and their parents and caregivers. Led by Aakash Patel, founder and president of Elevate Inc., a Tampa-based strategic business consulting firm, the group is against cuts to early childhood education budgets, which have been slashed in recent years.