Childcare in Lincoln County by Patti Littlehales

The October 21, 2021 LWV Lincoln County Membership meeting will present a program on the status of “Childcare in Lincoln County.” Lola Jones, Samaritan House Director, and Alma Baxter, Newport Branch Director of Self-Sufficiency Program, will present their programs and an overview of childcare availability in Lincoln County: programs, providers and the opportunities to grow this important service. Beyond simply watching after children are the requirements that children need comprehensive emotional and mental development experiences during their daily stay in local childcare facilities. But there are very few fully certified childcare centers in Lincoln County, especially those that operate year-round. The situation is even more tenuous for infants, toddlers and children with disabilities. Research shows that nearly 75% of families in Lincoln County with children under the age of 6 have parents in the labor force while similar families throughout the rest of Oregon stand at 62%. In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Oregon has implemented immediate changes to ease the burden of childcare, especially for workers who cannot stay home. Additionally, legislation has been implemented to further improve the childcare resources. Panelists will discuss these changes and the opportunities to further availability of childcare. Note: This meeting will be held via Zoom.