Community Team Seeks Child Care Information
Parents, employers, and child care providers in Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties have an opportunity right now to inform a regional child care action plan.
Local residents and businesses can help by sharing their experiences with child care - what’s working, what’s not, and what they need.
Surveys are open now through April 30 for parents, employers, and child care providers. Respondents may enter to win a $100 Walmart gift card.
Go to survey links below.
Local Leadership
The four-county, west central Missouri child care action planning effort is part of a statewide initiative sponsored by Kids Win Missouri. The New Growth Women’s Business Center, based in El Dorado Springs, serves as coordinator for the local planning team.
Organizations from Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties have joined forces with New Growth and Kids Win to assess child care and early education needs, explore solutions, and build an action plan for implementation.
The team includes the Economic Development Partnership -Bolivar & Polk County, Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce, and St. Clair County Economic Development along with leaders from child care, health care, education, business, and local government.
“Child care tops the list, along with housing, of issues we must address to advance Bolivar and Polk County,” said Brad Testerman, Economic Development Partnership President/CEO.
Critical Need
The lack of child care harms children, families, businesses,and communities.
· Four in five Missouri employers cite child care shortages as their most significant workforce barrier.
· Child care availability is especially low in rural Missouri. Non-metro counties average just 3.1 childcare slots for every 10 children.
· A new report reveals a severe shortage of infant and toddler child care across Missouri, with 112 out of 115 counties classified as “infant and toddler child care deserts.”
“Moving our communities forward requires learning from people here and developing solutions that work for people here,’ said Patty Cantrell, project coordinator with New Growth Women’s Business Center. “These surveys are the first step toward an action plan to tackle the critical childcare challenges that families, businesses, and communities face in Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties.”
Spread the Word
To hear from as many people as possible by April 30, New Growth and the planning team encourage community members to spread the word about surveys for parents, employers, and child care providers.
See survey links below.
Survey information will help to improve child care and early learning in Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties.
Because surveys will only be available for one month, it is important to participate immediately.