By Beth Starks, MSEd, EdD Candidate
Founding Partner, Flourish Leadership Consulting and Founding Executive Director, Chautauqua Lake Child Care Center
Having to balance a career while raising a child or children can be a major challenge for working adults, no matter where they live. In recent years during the COVID pandemic, record numbers of women left the workforce, citing child care as the main factor – resulting in reduced labor force participation and a reduction in income for families. I can recount dozens of stories of Chautauqua County working women reducing their hours, choosing to turn down promotions, leaving their jobs and deciding not to look for new employment. Many Chautauqua County employers have also indicated child care as a main barrier for potential hires impacting their employee recruitment, retention, and productivity.
More real child care solutions for employees and employers are more important than ever before, and they are available here in Chautauqua County!
First, New York State has expanded eligibility for families who want to access the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The new eligibility guidelines will now provide child care financial assistance for working families with an annual household income of up to $108,631 for a family of four.
Second, there is also a new, online CCAP application serving as a one-stop electronic solution that will aid most families applying for child care assistance. This makes the application easy!
And third, there is also help available for finding child care. Locally, you can contact our Chautauqua Child Care Council at 1-800-4child2 (1-800-424-4532) or visit Chautauqua Child Care Council. You can also click here to search yourself.
All of this is fabulous and important information for any local employer to share with their current and potential employees who are also raising a child or children!
In addition, there is a new NYS Business Navigator Toolkit for employers! The Business Navigator Toolkit is intended to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed that employers may experience as they seek to solve this critical workforce and economic problem. There are tax credits, surveys, planning tools, and more!
Solutions to child care challenges faced by both employers and employees are multi-faceted. By providing a clear outline of options, coupled with actionable steps for decision making, this toolkit is designed to meet business leaders where they are today, and provide impactful child care solutions to keep their businesses and employees growing tomorrow. For more information, please see this website.
Child care is a business that supports all other businesses, foundationally interconnected to workforce and economic development. Child care is a multi-billion dollar industry employing tens of thousands. Child care programs have a return on investment of $1.86 for every $1 invested—more than retail, manufacturing, and construction—and that’s money that stays in local communities. Yet, child care is an industry that is different from other businesses because it also enables other businesses to operate.
Are you looking to open a child care business? There are many opportunities to do so in Chautauqua County! Whether you would like to provide child care in your home or to open a child care center, there are many resources and funding opportunities available! You can contact our Chautauqua Child Care Council at: 1-800-424-4532 or Chautauqua Child Care Council to find out more!
As we all work together to make Chautauqua County a leader in early childhood education and economic development now and in the future, these important new strategies/initiatives will assist us. In using these new NYS and Chautauqua County resources, we support our economic infrastructure and the future of Chautauqua County – what is best for our youngest citizens and our economy is best for our collective future!
I am happy to answer any questions and I offer my assistance!
– Beth (EStarks@FlourishLeadershipConsulting.com)
Additional information
- Chautauqua Child Care Council & Child Care Council Self Serve
- NYS On-line Child Care Assistance Program application
- Business Navigator Toolkit
- Center for American Progress – Information on Child Care Deserts
- US Chamber of Commerce Foundation- Childcare Roadmap for Employers
- NYS Governor’s Child Care Availability Task Force information & recommendations
- Flourish Leadership Consulting website
- Chautauqua Lake Child Care Center website