(Spencer)– The Spencer Economic Development Corporation, or SEDC, is out with the findings of a Child Care Market Analysis and Strategic Plan, conducted in a partnership with First Children’s Finance.
The report says over the past 12 months, parents in the Spencer area experienced child care challenges affecting their job with 66 percent indicating the most common problem of having to leave work early. Employers reported the same finding. 79 percent of child care providers in the study say they had to turn away families or put them on a wait list due to a lack of space.
First Children’s Finance estimates there are 1,317 children in Spencer from families likely to use a regulated child care setting. According to Iowa Health and Human Services, there are 737 regulated spaces available during the school year in the Spencer area and 529 regulated spaces during the summer, with a shortage of up to 580 spaces during the school year. The report says that during the summer, that number increases even further to 788 spaces.
SEDC President Philip Ramstack says they’ll use the findings to work with community members on a strategic plan to help address the matter.
The findings were presented earlier this week to the Spencer City Council and Clay County Board of Supervisors. The report and strategic plan can be found at SpencerEDC.com.
