March 02, 2023

Mind Your Business - What's Going On with Early Child Care Funding - Elisha Childers & Hunter Varipapa - The Children's Council of Watauga County

34 minutes

The access and affordability of early childcare has always been an important component to a thriving workforce in Watauga County. With conditions in the labor market already tricky, the last thing our community needs is for it to become even more difficult to find quality childcare for those participating or returning to the workforce.

On this week's Mind Your Business, Elisha Childers and Hunter Varipapa from The Children's Council of Watauga County discuss stabilization grants issued as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), and what the looming expiration of those funds means for childcare centers across Watauga County.

Earlier this week, Governor Roy Cooper sent a letter to the North Carolina Congressional delegation outlining the case for intervention at the Federal level. Please visit our Elected Officials Contact page to find contact information should you wish to address this issue with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx or Senators Richard Burr or Thom Tillis.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.