Leadership needed to address growing demand for daycare

Whether you have young children at home or not, daycare is a priority issue here in Hamilton County.
That was the message that came through loud and clear in a recent report by the Hamilton County Leadership Tomorrow class, which presented its findings on this timely topic as part of a graduation program May 31. Reporting that Aurora and Hamilton County need more daycare providers seems like an obvious conclusion, but a closer look at some of the group’s research suggests that this issue is quickly rising to the top of the area’s priority needs list. Bottom line — goals of short- and long-term growth are simply not realistic without having daycare options available for young families!
The general findings of a community survey which indicated a growing need for more daycare were not surprising, though there were some specific points of information worth a closer look. We are not the only community facing this challenge, obviously, and there are lessons to be learned from seeing what other communities are doing to successfully address the issue.
Boone County, for example, just 60 miles to the north, has devoted a great deal of time and effort into establishing a school-run after-school daycare program recently expanded to run throughout the summer. In Gothenburg, 90 miles to the west, Tax Increment Financing was utilized, in part, to help fund a new community-run daycare facility that is proving to be a game-changer in that community. The leadership class report also noted that a Communities for Kids Initiative is another option for receiving grants and developing partnerships to help address daycare needs.
In other words, there are options out there that Hamilton County leaders would do well to consider. There may well be others, involving various partnerships with schools or churches, city/county government, community development and healthcare organizations that may or may not apply here. Hamilton County prides itself on using its own resources to get things done, but as we’ve learned with the Rural Workforce Housing Fund, grant programs can be used in combination with local resources to raise the bar quickly and effectively.
The Aurora Child Care facility has been a blessing in this community since it opened in 2009, but as ACC board members have learned taking care of the next generation involves a challenging business model. That challenge has grown exponentially through the pandemic and growing workforce shortage, making the need for quality daycare all the more significant.
Kudos to the Leadership Tomorrow class for shedding light on this issue with a timely report. The question now is what individuals or organization(s) will step up to help find the best path forward.
 -- Kurt Johnson