The United Way of the Coalfield is partnering with Child Care Aware of Kentucky through the University of Kentucky to gain a clearer picture of child care needs for families in Hopkins County and nearby communities.
Executive Director Ashley Alexander says they have a new community survey available that explores key issues such as access, affordability, and availability of child care.
She notes that while the survey covers several counties, their main focus right now is on establishing a child care center in Hopkins County. According to Alexander, the United Way of the Coalfield aims to create at least 100 additional child care slots in Hopkins County.
Alexander adds that understanding child care needs in nearby counties is also important since many people live in one county but work in another.
click to download audioShe said the survey also aims to identify any barriers or challenges families face with child care.
click to download audioBeyond that, she said, they are looking at the child care needs they are seeing in the community.
click to download audioShe adds that if the United Way reaches this goal and still has funding available, or secures additional support, they plan to help child care centers in the community grow and expand their services to support more families.
She says they are encouraging as many people as possible to complete the survey. With new ALICE data for Kentucky, she says they can now see how many households with children in each county are part of the workforce and identify any gaps in child care support.
click to download audioThe child care needs survey is currently open to parents, caregivers, employers, and community members. Survey responses will help guide future planning, funding priorities, and advocacy efforts aimed at strengthening the local child care system.
Community members are encouraged to participate in the survey and help shape the future of child care in Hopkins County.
To take the survey or learn more, click here.
