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No child care services in Dayton spur community efforts to address big economic problem

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin - 5/30/2022

May 29—DAYTON — It has been two years since any licensed day care service were available in this city, according to community leaders.

"It is a crisis," said Belinda Larsen, Dayton Chamber of Commerce executive director. "It's a need — not a want, and the community needs to address this crisis."

A public forum addressing the utter lack of child care in Columbia County took place last week at the county fairgrounds with the goal of having an open discussion with community members about what steps are being taken to solve the problem.

The lack of child care is creating a burden on the local economy because some parents are not able to work with no child care available. The crisis has left many businesses understaffed and city leaders scrambling to find a solution.

The panel of community leaders — some of whom are members of a task force to address this problem — took the stage and spoke about things like finding an adequate facility that could be used to create a child care center.

It was a chance to provide education and information and to clear up any confusion about the funding and operations of any potential center, according to forum moderator and former state Rep. Terry Nealey.

Leaders have considered several local buildings, but with most structures in Dayton antiquated, the cost to bring them up to code for a child care center is financially out of reach.

Approximately 70 people filled the pavilion at the fairgrounds and about 30 more joined via Zoom.

Residents were allowed to ask questions of the panel and voice their concerns.

The need for a facility

Columbia County Health System is the largest employer in the county and is taking the lead in addressing the problem. Administrators there are leading a task force to find a suitable location, since having a site would help in seeking grants and other funding.

Local grant programs have already begun to net some cash. The Warren Fund awarded $7,500 earlier this month to the Health System for child care. The Dayton-Columbia County Washington Fund donated $10,000 to the Health System for this as well.

Columbia County Health System's CEO Shane McGuire is in the process of facilitating funding to purchase and remodel a current building but says the options are limited at this time.

"The cost of operating a day care is very expensive due to state standards and regulations set in place that are required to operate a day care facility," McGuire said.

According to a recent child care study, there is a need for 70 spots in Columbia County, and McGuire said a new day care facility could serve 42 kids initially of various ages, including infant care.

So far, Columbia County Health System has received federal, state and private donations to the total of $658,500.

According to McGuire, the funds can only be used for purchasing and remodeling and upgrading a building that would meet state standards to operate a day care facility.

Standards include certain square footage and bathroom design requirements.

"This amount is likely short of what would be needed to purchase and remodel a building," McGuire said. "With the rise of construction costs and inflationary pressures on labor and materials, estimates for a new facility are hovering to around $1.6 million."

Even after a building could be secured and remodeled for a day care, there would be the next challenge of the operational costs of running the facility.

YWCA's involvement

YWCA Walla Walla is the most likely front runner to take up that responsibility, though the nonprofit has faced backlash from some government officials and community members who don't agree with YWCA's curriculum standards.

The YWCA first started serving Columbia County in the late 1970s with an after-school program and has been operating the women's domestic violence shelter since 2004.

Lifetime Dayton resident Tabitha Vance is the director of child care at the YWCA's My Friends' House and was one of the panelists at the forum.

Vance said a day care facility is something kids need to develop mentally and socially to learn problem-solving skills and relationship-building skills.

"You need to expose kids to a larger group of kids so they get a mix of what they will see when they get to school," Vance said. "The earlier they learn it, the better they are going to be in school."

One member of the panel was Anne Walsh, a member of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce who has been involved with economic development in the region for over 27 years.

She works for Puget Sound Energy and is connected with many economic development organizations whose mission is to bring business to the county. Child care is essential to the local economy, she said.

"Child care is an important service that attracts new business and investment and keeps existing businesses local," Walsh said. "Not having a child care facility in Dayton has a big economic impact."

When businesses look to relocate, available child care is part of the equation along with good schools and hospitals when considering new investment into an area, Walsh said.

McGuire underscored this, saying that keeping his staff at the hospital and affiliated clinics means that Dayton needs high-quality child care.

"We are losing workers because of lack of resources," McGuire said.

Health outcomes

Dayton is at a crossroads between economic development and health and child care, the hospital CEO said.

Aside from the economic impact, the lack of child care also contributes to worse health outcomes over time, and Columbia County ranks near the bottom in the state for healthy outcomes for residents.

"There are studies that tie high-quality child care with better academic achievement, higher graduation rates and better long-term success," McGuire said. "And we want that for our community."

Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm joined the panel group via Zoom and said he has seen first-hand how the lack of child care has affected his department.

"From a law enforcement standpoint, we have seen a lot child neglect when we respond to calls to a home," Helm said. "We see children in neglectful situations due to a lack of day care, that have to intervene legally."

Max Erikson can be reached at merikson@wwub.com.

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