FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2022
Media Contact: Katherine Trombetta
417-880-6306 or
[email protected]
The Billion Dollar Economic Impact of Childcare in Missouri
The City’s Department of Workforce Development has dropped it’s latest episode of Workforce Vibe, taking on the issue of adequate, affordable childcare and the tremendous economic impact it has on the state. Sally Payne, Workforce Development Director for the City of Springfield, talked with Brian Fogle, CEO of Community Foundation of the Ozarks on grassroots efforts to tackle this issue.
“In my conversation with Brian I really wanted to discuss what is being done at the local level to address this critical need,” said Sally Payne, Springfield’s Director of Workforce Development. “Greene County is down about 4,000 childcare slots from area providers who have either closed their doors permanently or restricted the number of available slots due to lack of childcare workers,” Payne added.
“The lowest paid profession in the country on average is that of a childcare worker,” said Brian Fogle, CEO of Community Foundation of the Ozarks. “Last year the Missouri Chamber did a study and found that Missouri took a $1.4 billion hit to the state economy due to a lack of childcare,” Fogle said.
“Companies are now looking to help subsidize the cost of childcare for their workers as a way of enticing them to stay,” said Payne. “Our department is also working with local childcare providers to put into place apprenticeship opportunities to help providers offset the cost of wages and provide the employee credentials while they earn a livable wage,” Payne added.
To listen to the full conversation you can access Workforce Vibe on most major podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Spotify. You may also listen to all Workforce Vibe episodes on https://cityview.springfieldmo.gov under the podcasts section.
For media requests, contact Katherine Trombetta at 417-880-6306 or [email protected].
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