North Central鈥檚 Child Care Initiative receives $50,000 grant from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation.
69风流 has partnered with the on a yearlong research project to provide innovative solutions to Emmet County鈥檚 child care shortage. The 69风流 Child Care Initiative will provide an evidence-based plan for a sustainable child care system designed to meet the county鈥檚 needs now and in the future.
The Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation has awarded the college a $50,000 grant in support of the project. Additional funding from the Frey Foundation allowed the college to formally launch the program.
鈥淭he shortage of available child care in Emmet County presents a challenge that transcends any single agency or organization,鈥� said 69风流 President David Roland Finley. 鈥淏ecause of this significant gift from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, we are able to meet that challenge head-on with collaboration and creativity.鈥�
Support for 69风流鈥檚 Child Care Initiative is well aligned with the Community Foundation鈥檚 mission to improve the quality of life for all Emmet County residents.
鈥淗aving available child care is essential for families living and working here in Emmet County,鈥� said David (DJ) Jones, Executive Director of the Community Foundation. 鈥淲e are proud to support North Central鈥檚 efforts to study and identify child care solutions for our community that will have an impact now and well into the future.鈥�
North Central has appointed a team comprised of Early Childhood Professor Jennifer Wixson, a project coordinator, and a data analyst to evaluate the feasibility and viability of more than a dozen possible models for a sustainable child care system.
鈥淧rofessor Wixson鈥檚 team will conduct comprehensive data analysis,鈥� said Sara Glasgow, North Central鈥檚 dean of liberal arts. 鈥淭hey will study 12 months鈥� worth of data collected via surveys and focus groups with parents and employers, as well as interviews with more than 80 percent of the child care professionals in Emmet County.鈥�
The team will identify areas for improvement and reform, Wixson noted.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking specifically at affordability and accessibility to care, the capacity of our local child care network, workforce opportunities and increased wages for child care professionals, and the quality of care for all children,鈥� she said.
By November 2023, Wixson and the team will present Emmet County leaders with an implementation-ready list of sustainable solutions.
鈥淥ur local child care system has endured decades of strain, and now a pandemic,鈥� Wixson said. 鈥淭his is our opportunity to change course 鈥撯�� for the sake of our children, our parents, and our child care professionals 鈥撯�� and we鈥檙e excited to provide the roadmap for how to do it successfully.鈥�
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