ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, VA – ”The stories I could tell about families desperately needing care…” Executive Director of Yellow Brick Early Learning Center Misty Camden said.
Misty Camden has dedicated her career to helping families and children.
“Why I do what I do is ministry, to help all families to get quality childcare,” Camden said.
As the Executive Director of Yellow Brick Road Early Learning Center in Lexington, she sees the problems families face firsthand.
“We’re at max capacity of 88. We have 94 on our waitlist.”
VBQ5 has a map showing where every registered childcare facility is in the state - you can see Yellow Brick Road, but there are only two others listed for the entirety of Rockbridge.
“We are the only infant provider in the area. That is six weeks to age one. And we only have eight spots for that. That’s huge.”
It’s not just an issue in Rockbridge. Across the country, affordable, accessible child care is few and far between.
But Brian Brown with SERCAP tells us the county is in a unique position that makes things even harder.
“I actually think it’s a larger deal in these areas, especially rural areas, because there are less options. You are still having the same amount, I mean we have 5700 children in this community, and when you think about the number of slots we have in daycare, it’s less than 10% of that,” Brown said.
And when childcare isn’t in place - it begins to affect businesses, and the economy as a whole.
Rockbridge has an aging population, and without young families with children coming in, Brown says the future is uncertain
“Losing young families is something that is detrimental to our growth and development,” he said.
Devin Journiette is a fellow with the International Economic Development Council. He’s working with leaders in the area to find the root of the problem and fix it.
So far, they’ve had a survey to pinpoint the issues, and community meetings to discuss possible solutions.
Next up, boots-on-the-ground conversations with businesses and families.
“Being able to rebuild the childcare will help employers in the area. It will help bring people in, help bring in new jobs, new employers, by having a sustainable childcare system,” Journiette said.’
County leaders are releasing the survey again, in hopes of garnering more responses. If you would like to join in the conversation, you can complete the survey here.
Earlier this year, EO released a report on the childcare landscape of Virginia. They found, “almost half of surveyed businesses in the region reported challenges hiring and retaining staff due to a lack of child care access.”
For the full report, click here.
There are resources available both for childcare providers and families who are struggling to find and afford childcare. You can find some of those resources here.