Ad Hoc - Affordable Childcare Ad Hoc Committee

Mission:

Create a tangible network of early learning care options within our community, supportive of working families, the Ashland economy, and most importantly our children.

Goal:

Support Ashland working families with affordable early-learning childcare solutions that focus on attracting and retaining Ashland’s workforce, strengthening Ashland School District enrollment, and preparing our youngest citizens for kindergarten, independent of economic status.

 City of Ashland Value Statements Supported by this Ad Hoc Committee:

• Community affordability, including in available housing and childcare
• Belonging through mutual respect and openness, inclusion, and equity
• Quality of life that underpins the City's economic vibrancy

Committee Charge:

Define the existing early learning environment in Ashland including total number of early learning seats, both private and non-profit, the composition of programs (in-home, centers, other), and the economics of existing programs (Head Start, Preschool Promise, Private Tuition, annual costs to family and caregivers). Assess and define Ashland’s unaddressed early learning requirements.

 Identify resources capable of contributing to an early learning solution including, but not limited to:

• Physical Assets (Brick and Mortar, tangible supplies to provide service, etc)
• Business Partners
• Non-Profit Partners
• Coordination of Service Expertise
• Options to support families with special needs

 Consider and plan for the needs of the care providers, specifically:

• Living wage positions,
• Appropriate benefits,
• Training opportunities, and
• Recruitment of educators and staff.

 Recommend a communication plan, including:

• Where residents and families can find information about early learning opportunities
• How to keep such resources up to date
• Contact information for existing programs

Develop a strategic plan capable of tangibly providing for Ashland’s unaddressed early learning needs.