REVIEWS & OPINIONS Tackling the affordable childcare dilemma United Way of Roanoke Valley held its annual celebration event last month - also officially kicking off its fiscal year 2023 fundraising campaign goal of 2 million dollars. That’s up from the previous fiscal year goal of 1.9 million. Some of those funds, collected from annual workplace campaigns and other initiatives will be focused on providing affordable childcare options. It's no secret that the lack of affordable childcare and even the inventory of available places where parents can leave their kids as they head off the work has also been another issue exacerbated by the COVID -19 pandemic. Is there any facet of our lives that hasn’t been impacted by the coronavirus, here in the U.S. and internationally? It’s one reason for the Great Resignation, as parents who were forced to work remotely or just stay at home with their young children realized that could make ends meet without seeking childcare services that in some case was eating up much of their paycheck anyway, especially for those at the lower end of the income scale. An earlier version of President Biden’s Build Back Better plan that was ultimately deemed to be too pricey by DC lawmakers would have supplied funding to make childcare and more affordable and more available. That’s where United Way of Roanoke Valley comes into the picture, with a focus on 2023 fundraising (through the end of the fiscal year in June 2023) targeting that issue to a large extent. Childcare for those in Pre-K or younger also typically comes with some early learning, so that’s another issue as well. Kianna Price Marshall came aboard recently us UWRV’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications: “our impact and our focus is on many different facets but in particular early childhood education. Many people are aware of the issue of not having enough childcare providers for those younger than five years old. Providing our local childcare facilities the training that they need [is a goal]. Also, many aren’t aware that the local United Way provides funding so that children and families that aren’t able to afford to go to early childcare [can] do that for free. That’s a huge savings for individuals that have to work and can’t stay home with their little ones.” Having those “little ones” in the proper educational environment sooner rather than later is a plus. “Young minds are impressionable, and you want to get them the education that they need – even at that young of an age,” says Price Marshall. With everything else United Way of Roanoke Valley focuses on (access to health and wellness opportunities, boosting student achievement, helping to feed and house the hungry etc.) helping to provide affordable, quality childcare seems like a worthy target for the 2023 fundraising campaign.
THERE’S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE By Gene Marrano Executive Summary: Improved access to affordable childcare is high on the to-do list for United Way.
vbFRONT.com / OCTOBER 2022 u
39