An update from local nonprofit NeighborImpact reported improvements within the local childcare industry. The nonprofit shared its accomplishments at an October 21 Deschutes County Board of Commissioners meeting, highlighting how funding helped it create 224 new childcare slots in the region.
Deschutes County approved American Rescue Plan grant awards to NeighborImpact in 2021 and 2023 for childcare resources and programs. The funds, a total of about $2.3 million, went toward a campaign to recruit new providers, a program to certify new teachers and the creation and expansion of childcare programs.
The nonprofit also received $8,228,100 from House Bill 5202, meant to fund new childcare locations and the expansion of existing programs in Central Oregon. This money continues to help expand and create childcare slots, according to Hannah Kuehl, the NeighborImpact associate director of grant management.
NeighborImpact has spent about $3.7 million to date and has created 708 new slots in Deschutes County.
From the Deschutes County grants, NeighborImpact was able to open up several new programs and increase capacity at others, creating about 224 slots in the region and 151 slots in Bend, with 145 anticipated slots regionally.
The Workforce Fast Track Project, the organizations’ training program, provides licensing requirements as well as ongoing professional development, coaching for all new teachers and scholarships to cover tuition costs for continuing education, addressing a need to increase local child care providers.
Spanning from May 2022 to July 2024, 51 new teachers joined the workforce in Deschutes County, Karen Prow, NeighborImpact childcare resources director, reported on Monday.
In January, childcare providers reported problems within the industry, noting long waitlists, a lack of providers and the high cost of childcare. According to Prow, the shortage of providers remains a problem.
“For a young family in Central Oregon accessing childcare, if they do not have access to a subsidy to support paying for child care, they are looking at a very large child care bill. For our families, that’s still something that we need to address,” said Prow.
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This article appears in Source Weekly October 24, 2024.
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