As director of the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce, Lauren Sackett has seen firsthand how the lack of affordable childcare opportunities impacts local businesses.
“There are people that are turning down jobs. There are people that are leaving their roles. We think that’s something that’s vital to our businesses,” said Sackett.
Sacket is the chair of the Oneida County Childcare Coalition.
It’s a group that formed out of a state initiative through Grow North.
“We’re working to raise awareness on the current state of childcare in our county, but also interconnect some resources and things out there,” she said. “How we can help parents as their finding childcare for their children. How can we help childcare facilities find resources out there to better operate? And how can we just bolster the supply that we are in need of here in the county?”
The childcare barriers affect the families of young children most directly.
Sackett says it has a domino effect on other aspects of the community.
“It has a lot to do with our workforce, filling jobs, business growth. It directly affects our economy. That’s an important piece. The other important piece is that when our kids have access to high quality, early childhood programs, and those educators, they’re more likely to succeed in school, live healthier lives, and that’s ensuring that our next generation will have a good strong foundation for the future,” she said.
Sackett says right now, the group is serving Oneida County businesses and employees.
The coalition will be holding a series of town halls starting in May.
“We’re going to share information that we’ve learned and talk about what we can do as a community to address the childcare shortage and bolster our facilities,” said Sackett.
The coalition is working on building a website right now. In the meantime, the Oneida County Childcare Coalition Facebook page is the best place to find information about the work the group is doing.
