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The cost and availability of child care has been in the news a lot lately as care centers close and parents choose not to work, rather than pay for it out of pocket.
To better understand how these problems are affecting state businesses, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) is launching the West Virginia Child Care Economic Impact Survey. The survey is in collaboration with the West Virginia Association of Regional Councils, and supported by the WV Economic Development Council.
“The survey aims to gather valuable data to determine how the availability of child care impacts workforce participation, employee retention and overall business productivity,” said Jina Belcher, the authority’s executive director. “Child care is a growing priority for existing and new businesses throughout the Mountain State. We want to support the decisions being made by the governor, state agencies and the legislature with real-time data around the issue.”
Belcher said the information being collected will help identify the specific needs and concerns of businesses regarding child care so everyone can work together to develop targeted solutions that support both the workforce and economic growth in West Virginia.
“Child care funding is facing a looming cliff with pandemic-era funding ending soon,” she said. “These surveys will help assess and convey the extent to which West Virginia businesses encounter hurdles to child care and also highlight any concerns that prospective businesses looking to branch into the area may have.”
The survey will be open until the start of the legislative session. The authority and the WV Association of Regional Councils are open to sharing data with state and federal agencies that can use it as part of their decision making.
“There are many facets to the child care dilemma facing West Virginia and the nation,” Belcher said. “We developed the survey instrument as a means for providing current, real-time data to policymakers in the forefront of making decisions that will have both short- and long-term impacts on business and economic development leaders, parents and children.”
The survey can be accessed by visiting the authority’s website.
