Input Sought To Help Implement Childcare Solutions

(From the United Way of Hancock County)

Input is needed to help community leaders in their efforts to implement childcare solutions across Hancock County.

Two separate surveys have been created to gather a complete scope of the community’s needs. One survey seeks input from parents, prospective parents and grandparents, while the other is targeted toward HR professionals and business leadership. Both can be accessed at www.liveunitedhancockcounty.org/childcare-resources, where results will be posted by late summer.

The collaborative effort is being coordinated by Blanchard Valley Health System, Hancock County Job & Family Services, Findlay Family YMCA, The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation and United Way of Hancock County, along with concerned residents. The goal is to understand and quantify gaps in current childcare opportunities from an individual and workforce perspective and to ultimately create a community plan to address these gaps.

“We heard from our community during Community Conversations how important high-quality, affordable childcare is to residents of Hancock County. Completing this survey will strengthen the information we have to all work together to address this need,” said Brian Treece, president and CEO of The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation.

“During the pandemic, a key attribution came into play. That is, by ‘working together we can accomplish more.’ Participation in these surveys will help us understand our community’s needs around daycare and empower us towards solutions that strengthen the community,” said Myron D. Lewis, president and CEO of Blanchard Valley Health System.

The Village of McComb recently secured a $1 million grant to build a new childcare facility on State Route 235. That outcome resulted from a similar process in McComb and serves as a springboard for this countywide effort.

“The collaborative effort to swiftly secure funding for a new childcare resource in McComb shows the value of listening to the community’s needs and working together to implement a solution,” said Angela DeBoskey, CEO of United Way of Hancock County. “We are thrilled at this opportunity to gather information that will ultimately make a difference for parents and prospective parents while further strengthening Hancock County’s workforce.”

Visitors to the above webpage will also find a list of Hancock County childcare providers, along with a printable poster to hang in their workplace.