Families need more childcare options, providers need more money and employers need help.
That’s according to a new report published last week by the Child Care Initiative at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey.
The initiative surveyed 96 employers, 271 parents and 25 childcare providers in Emmet County over the last year.
Companies are struggling to recruit qualified workers who have unmet childcare needs.
A third of families spend $1,000 a month on childcare. And childcare providers say they’re struggling to meet monthly bills.
Jennifer Wixson is the coordinator for the college's Early Childhood Education program.
“We’re looking at an equitable, high quality childcare system," Wixson said. "Where all of the children in our community are receiving equitable services. ”
Wixson said they want to figure out how to make that work on a county level. They’re looking to fund some of the solutions featured in the report.
One includes better business models for childcare providers that reflect a more accurate cost of care.
Another suggests employers helping families with the cost of childcare as part of the worker’s benefits.
The college intends to launch these innovations in the next phase of the project over the next year and see if they can work sustainably, elsewhere.
View the report below. Click here to learn more about Child Initiative at NCMC.
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