Research has demonstrated: Exposure to trauma and violence can negatively impact young children’s development in ways that stretch well into adulthood. That’s why ReadyNation members from two chambers of commerce wrote to the Chicago Tribune after masked federal immigration agents pulled a teacher from a local early childhood classroom with kids, parents, and fellow teachers looking on in fright.

“Employers and managers know the far-reaching value of preserving safe, stable child care and preschool spaces for children,” the authors noted — a value that extends to concerns for the workforce and economy. Read the letter at https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/14/letters-111425-day-care-ice/.