Child care challenges continue to stand as a critical barrier to workforce attraction and retention across the Mahoning Valley. To address these pressing issues, the Early Childhood Resource Center, in partnership with PNC, Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, will host a community breakfast focused on "The Landscape of Child Care in Mahoning Valley."
The free event is 8:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at The Atrium at Alta Campus of Care, 1960 E. County Line Road, Mineral Ridge.
“Investing in early care and education strengthens the workforce by ensuring parents have access to reliable child care and employers retain skilled talent. This is an exciting opportunity for business leaders, policymakers and community members to come together, better understand the challenges facing working parents and collaborate on sustainable solutions that support families and economic growth,” said Maria Spencer, director of Early Care and Education Services with the Early Childhood Resource Center.
The breakfast aims to foster collaboration among businesses, community organizations and community leaders to discuss innovative solutions, including the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY)’s newly piloted Early Care and Education (ECE) Business Partnership Grant. This grant opportunity seeks to bring together businesses, government or nonprofit entities and DCY to share the cost of expanding child care access for eligible families. It fosters innovative collaborations between DCY and businesses addressing workforce challenges, ensuring employees have access to affordable, reliable child care. By removing common barriers to quality child care, the initiative helps parents stay in or return to the workforce.
“When we talk about workforce development, we also must discuss what makes it possible for people to participate, and child care is central to that. This event is a reminder that child care isn’t just a policy issue, it’s a matter of community well-being. We’re happy to collaborate with partners who understand that supporting families is essential to
building a stronger future for our Valley,” said Carol Holmes-Chambers, Community Solutions director for Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries.
The impacts of insufficient child care on workforce productivity in Ohio are staggering. According to a recent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation:
· Child care issues result in an estimated $5.48 billion in lost economic activity in Ohio.
· The state misses an estimated $1.52 billion a year in tax revenue due to child care issues.
· Child care-related employee turnover and absenteeism costs Ohio’s employers an estimated $3.97 billion per year.
· 70% of parents of young children missed work or class at least once in the past three months for child care-related reasons.
· 33% of parents who experienced disruptions to their employment in the past year reported leaving the workforce as a direct result of child care issues.
· 36% of parents attending school or work training needed to make a significant adjustment to their schedule due to child care issues in the past year.
“About a third of parents who left the workforce in the last year say they did so because of child care issues,” said Brenda Linert, director of Community Impact for the Regional Chamber. “The Regional Chamber has taken on this initiative because we know that local businesses, already struggling to attract and retain workers, cannot afford to lose valuable talent for this reason.”
The event schedule is:
· 8:30 to 9 a.m. - Arrival and Networking Breakfast
· 9 to 10 a.m. - Early Childhood Resource Center services overview
o Status of child care in the Mahoning Valley
o Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries Assembly for Workforce Solutions Steering Committee overview
· 10 a.m. - Overview of the Early Care and Education Business Partnership Grant by Joel Potts from Ohio Department of Children and Youth
o Presentation and Q&A Session
Registration is required by May 7, 2025. For the registration link or more information, contact Maria Spencer at mspencer@ecresourcecenter.org or 330.903.0804.
Powered by: PNC
Goodwill is matching funds with PNC to sponsor the event.