Childcare costs and shortages are increasingly recognized as barriers to comprehensive regional development. This report examines the drivers of the challenge and the impact it has had in communities across the country. It highlights roles that EDDs are playing to increase childcare accessibility, quality, and affordability in their communities, and has recommendations for districts who have not yet been involved with childcare initiatives.
Three additional case studies take a closer look at how EDDs are leveraging their expertise and networks to address childcare issues in their regions in a variety of ways:
This segment of a Recompete Community of Practice webinar explores how childcare access impacts workforce participation, business growth, and regional economic competitiveness. It includes a presentation from Dion Thompson-Davoli, author of the report featured above, and also insights from Michele McFarlane from Frontier Community Resources who discusses in-depth the case study above from Lincoln County, Idaho on converting a vacant church into a youth center offering preschool, after-school care, and licensed childcare.
This resource is offered through the Economic Development District Community of Practice (EDD CoP), managed by the NADO Research Foundation to build the capacity of the national network of EDDs. To learn more, visit: www.nado.org/EDDCoP. The EDD CoP is made possible through an award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (ED22HDQ3070106). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations in this resource are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.