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Washington County is working to address the issue of childcare. A study completed in the county found 3 out of 4 families surveyed reported finding childcare was “difficult” or “very difficult.”Availability, cost, quality and schedule alignment are the four major factors that have been identified as impacting a family’s ability to access childcare.“I actually was on a waiting list for over a year for my 4-year-old to get into, you know, the current facility that we’re in,” Renae Brunner, a Washington County resident, said. “My caregiver at the time had to fall down and hurt their back. And I had to basically beg and say, I have to keep working. I cannot work out and watch two children and be successful in my job. Can you please help me? Do you have any openings at all?”Brunner said she’s not alone; several families are often put on a waiting list, especially because, Brunner said, there’s only one daycare center option in the Blair area.“We need more than one center that will transport our children to preschool,” Brunner said. “We’re really starting with one option. And, you know, something happens there. There’s really there’s no other option. And I just don’t like that. So I feel like families should have diversity of options. And that’s why I’m really passionate about this initiative.”Numerous community organizations from across the metro and city leaders from Blair and Fort Calhoun are working to identify solutions. During a community meeting on Monday, Blair City Administrator Phil Green announced the county had recently been accepted for a new grant and partnership.The grant and partnership are with Community for Kids, through Early Futures Partnerships.“It’s $30,000 over three years, so $10,000 each, just to kind of really support our initiatives on trying to increase childcare opportunities in all of Washington County,” Green said.Brunner said the partnership is a positive building block to addressing the issue.“Really kind of relief to hear that we were accepted not just for the grant, but just for the ability to continue the conversations and really create a solid plan of what do we want for early childhood childcare and education landscape,” Brunner said.Green said this is just the start of the effort to address the issue. To learn more about it, click here.
Washington County is working to address the issue of childcare. A study completed in the county found 3 out of 4 families surveyed reported finding childcare was “difficult” or “very difficult.”
Availability, cost, quality and schedule alignment are the four major factors that have been identified as impacting a family’s ability to access childcare.
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“I actually was on a waiting list for over a year for my 4-year-old to get into, you know, the current facility that we’re in,” Renae Brunner, a Washington County resident, said. “My caregiver at the time had to fall down and hurt their back. And I had to basically beg and say, I have to keep working. I cannot work out and watch two children and be successful in my job. Can you please help me? Do you have any openings at all?”
Brunner said she’s not alone; several families are often put on a waiting list, especially because, Brunner said, there’s only one daycare center option in the Blair area.
“We need more than one center that will transport our children to preschool,” Brunner said. “We’re really starting with one option. And, you know, something happens there. There’s really there’s no other option. And I just don’t like that. So I feel like families should have diversity of options. And that’s why I’m really passionate about this initiative.”
Numerous community organizations from across the metro and city leaders from Blair and Fort Calhoun are working to identify solutions. During a community meeting on Monday, Blair City Administrator Phil Green announced the county had recently been accepted for a new grant and partnership.
The grant and partnership are with Community for Kids, through Early Futures Partnerships.
“It’s $30,000 over three years, so $10,000 each, just to kind of really support our initiatives on trying to increase childcare opportunities in all of Washington County,” Green said.
Brunner said the partnership is a positive building block to addressing the issue.
“Really kind of relief to hear that we were accepted not just for the grant, but just for the ability to continue the conversations and really create a solid plan of what do we want for early childhood childcare and education landscape,” Brunner said.
Green said this is just the start of the effort to address the issue. To learn more about it, click here.
