By the time a day care slot opens in Independence County, the child might have aged out of the position.
“We only have child care to meet 10% of the demand of our infants and toddlers here,” said Jamie Rayford, chief operating officer of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce. “We have wait lists that are hundreds of kids long.”
That lack of child care is stifling economic growth in the county of about 38,000 people.
“When we have folks that move to the town for jobs or we have companies that are looking at the area, we don’t have that foundational [day care] system because every spot in our entire community is full,” Rayford said.
In recent years, the Batesville chamber has been taking new approaches to improve child care options by helping employers think of ways to assist parents, such as providing child care at the employer’s office or offering employees flexible hours.
The chamber’s plan seems to be working. Between 2019 and June 2023, child care slots in Independence County grew by 168%, resulting in 650 more spaces, she said.
The lack of child care isn’t limited to Independence County. Arkansas employers lose an estimated $865 million annually because of absences and employee turnover attributable to child care issues, according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation study published in 2023.
The state of Arkansas also loses about $200 million annually in tax revenue because of child care-related issues, according to the study.
As the population grows, finding and paying for child care will become harder for parents who want to work, the report said. “Without suitable childcare options, many Arkansans will be forced to exit the workforce, which has negative financial impacts on their household and limits the talent pool available to businesses in an already tight labor environment,” the report said.
Not having enough quality child care slots also leads to workforce problems in the future.
It’s a two-generation workforce issue, Rayford said. “We need people in the workforce now, and we need somewhere for their kids to go,” she said. And children need “quality educational brain building experiences so that they can be ready for kindergarten.”
Up to 45% of children in the county aren’t ready for the first day of kindergarten because of the lack of child care options, she said.
“It’s not a good trajectory for the future workforce in the state,” Rayford said. “So we’re just really trying to dig into the root of that system and make fundamental changes in providing access.”
Rayford said that in October the chamber “was designated as an Arkansas Department of Education local lead agency for early childhood education.” That means it will receive $150,000 annually for three years to work in the community on improving early childhood education opportunities.
The chamber’s push for more child care dates back to 2016 when it rolled out a strategic plan called Impact Independence County, a wish list that was the result of blanketing the county with surveys.
“And so when we talk about economic development, our approach to economic development is workforce development,” she said.
First Community Bank in Batesville saw the importance of providing child care more than two decades ago.
Dale Cole, the bank’s chairman, CEO and founder, had an idea to have employees bring their children to work in 2003 for a “kids’ day out,” said Boris Dover, president and CEO of the bank. “Probably some people questioned if that was a good strategy,” Dover said.
The bank set aside space for employees’ children who were old enough to take care of themselves, and it was a hit with employees and the children.
The children’s room had books and games, and the youth had access to the employee lounge, featuring a jukebox, fountain drinks and soft serve ice cream, Dover said.
The child care program has expanded over the years to two rooms for different ages.
The space for child care comes in handy if a parent has to take a child to a morning doctor’s appointment. Employees can bring their child to the bank to wait until it’s time to go, rather than the parent missing work.
The bank also is used as a bus stop after school. Buses drop employees’ children off at the bank, where they play or do homework while waiting for their parents, Dover said.
The bank’s child care program has “been a valuable plus for employee morale, retention, productivity, all those things that the chamber is trying to address and industry is trying to address,” Dover said.
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