Saline County puts federal dollars toward local child care needs. How the money will help
Saline County invested in a local organization that is combating local child care issues, beginning with low wages and limited availability, as part of a big-picture effort to develop the workforce and find long-term solutions.
This week, the county awarded the Salina Area United Way $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used in their ongoing efforts to address a persistent local need for child care around Salina.
Dedicating some of the ARPA funds toward childcare initiatives has been on the county's radar since the ARPA funding first came available. When the county commission set its framework for how to expend the federal dollars, "child care" was its own category under the workforce development piece.
For a while now, the county has talked about needing partners to achieve something meaningful in this category. The United Way now has an opportunity to do just that.
"We know that child care is a great need in this community and (the county) wanted to be able to devote some of those once-in-a-generation funding to address that child care need," said Phillip Smith-Hanes, the Saline County administrator.
Salina United Way leads efforts in addressing child care needs
In April, the United Way announced the start of its Early Childcare Initiative Fund, which will begin the first phase of the organization's efforts by awarding wage supplement grants to local centers.
"Wages have been pinpointed as the No. 1 critical piece as to why we’re struggling to retain child care workers and keep rooms open at centers,” said Claire Ludes, executive director of the Salina Area United Way.
Last month, the United Way was awarded $1,872,000 by the Kansas Children's Cabinet Child Care Capacity Accelerator grant program to help create 187 new spots in the Salina area.
To build on that success, Salina United Way submitted a proposal to the county for ARPA funds to create an endowment, which would aim to supplement wages of local providers in the future.
The proposal was vetted by ARPA compliance consultants and found to fit federal requirements.
Under the agreement, $75,000 will be provided for staffing and marketing in an initial grant for $37,500, with the remainder available if funding for the endowment is obtained by Dec. 31.
The United Way will have until June 30, 2024, to raise $325,000 to receive a matching grant for their endowment. This schedule aims to incentivize the United Way to fundraise quickly and allow the county to reallocate the funds if the organization cannot meet ARPA obligation deadlines.
The county commission unanimously approved United Way's proposal Tuesday.
“With these funds of $400,000 we will be able to address the current needs of child care and also begin working on sustaining all that is being done in our community to make lasting and impactful changes for child care,” Ludes said.
Quick facts about the local child care desert
There are a great number of needs in the childcare arena, most of which are identified by experts as a cause-and-effect relationship. Here are some of the key facts surrounding childcare needs in Saline County:
For every one open child care slot, there are 10 children in need of that spot.
Most child care centers around Salina are paying $4-6 less than the local "livable" wage of $15 per hour.
Fewer people are entering the child care field.
Local centers are understaffed.
Infant care is in the highest demand.
An estimated 1,052 child care slots are needed this month.
Employers cite child care as a top challenge when recruiting employees.
More about United Way's effort: A new fund aims to increase child care availability in the Salina community. Here's how
County, United Way discuss the need for sustainable solutions
After some discussion on these key facts and the dire situation local childcare availability has become, commissioners voiced their gratitude to Ludes for her team's efforts, as well as their concerns for the future.
Commissioner Jim Weese said that while he supports the allocation, he can't help but wonder what happens after the ARPA funds are exhausted.
"I fear, like all ARPA funds, that if they don't find their own source of revenue after the ARPA is gone, they would want to come back to the county ... so I'm just raising the red flag now," Weese said. "They have to find their own source of revenue, and I believe that's what they're trying to do."
Commissioner Rodger Sparks asked if Ludes was confident her organization could meet the match requirements through fundraising.
More: The desperate, persistent need for childcare
"We are very close to having our first business contribute and be a piece of the matching at about $75,000," Ludes said. "We're just continuing to have constant conversations with businesses, so I hate to say this, but I don't think it's going to be an issue to get the matching funds. Businesses are very much interested in being a part of this."
Renee Duxler, president and CEO of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce was in attendance Tuesday and voiced her organization's support of the United Way proposal.
"Our employers are definitely very interested in being invested in childcare in the community," Duxler said. "We really appreciate United Way stepping up to take this on, being an incredible organization to do the work."
Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022, primarily covering government and education. You can reach him at kcalfee@gannett.com or on Twitter @calfee_kc.
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina United Way will use federal dollars to support child care needs
