In collaboration with the West Virginia Association of Regional Councils and supported by the WV Economic Development Council, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) is launching the West Virginia Child Care Economic Impact Survey to help provide an economic snapshot of the impact that existing and prospective businesses see related to child care.
“The survey aims to gather valuable data to determine how the availability of childcare impacts workforce participation, employee retention and overall business productivity,” says Jina Belcher, executive director of the NRGRDA. “Childcare is a growing priority for existing and new businesses throughout the Mountain State. We want to support the decisions being made by the governor, state agencies and the Legislature with real-time data around the issue.”
Belcher says the information being collected in the West Virginia Child Care Economic Impact Survey will help identify the specific needs and concerns of businesses regarding childcare so everyone can work together to develop targeted solutions that support both the workforce and economic growth in West Virginia.
“Child care funding is facing a looming cliff with pandemic-area funding ending soon,” she says. “These surveys will help assess and convey the extent to which West Virginia businesses encounter hurdles to child care and also highlight any concerns that prospective businesses looking to branch into the area may have.”
Belcher says the survey will be open until the start of legislative session. NRGRDA and the West Virginia Association of Regional Councils are open to sharing data with state and federal agencies that can use it as part of their decision making.
“There are many facets to the child care dilemma facing West Virginia and the nation,” says Belcher. “We developed the survey instrument as a means for providing current, real-time data to policymakers in the forefront of making decisions that will have both short- and long-term impacts on business and economic development leaders, parents and children.”
The survey can be accessed by visiting https://west-virginia-businesses-child-care-survey-region1.hub.arcgis.com/
NRGRDA’s website also features a page on child care and the survey: https://nrgrda.org/wv-childcare-economic-impact-survey/
