National Association of Counties expands programming to build childcare supply

New cohort will equip local leaders with tools and best practices to support working families

WASHINGTON – The National Association of Counties (NACo) today announced the launch of its Childcare Supply Network. This new peer learning network will support local leaders in addressing childcare challenges and co-creating sustainable solutions to strengthen local childcare systems in response to workforce needs.  

Made possible by the Investing in America Child Care Partnership, the network will be made up of local multi-sector stakeholder working groups organized to collaborate on these issues. These groups of leaders will be supported by a national infrastructure to coordinate with federal agencies and identify opportunities for policy innovations and scaling. The launch of this network recognizes the critical role that local governments play as conveners of business and other important partners in addressing childcare supply challenges.  

The participating jurisdictions are: 

• Columbus-Muscogee Consolidated City-County, Ga.
• Cuyahoga County, Ohio
• Pima County, Ariz.
• Wayne County, Mich. 

“Realizing a vision for healthy, safe and vibrant counties across America depends on ensuring a thriving workforce has the support it needs, including adequate childcare to support working parents,” said NACo Chief Program Officer Ashleigh Holand. “The Childcare Supply Network will support the exchange of innovative solutions to strengthen local childcare, and we look forward to sharing the work of this group with counties across the country.” 

The Investing in America Child Care Partnership, a joint effort of eight national philanthropic organizations, calls for a significant workforce expansion for infrastructure projects. This demand for workers necessitates improved access to childcare for working parents, especially women and women of color.  

“Investing in childcare not only supports families, but it builds a foundation for stronger, more resilient communities,” said Saskia Guerrier, senior advocacy officer at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. “When parents have access to quality childcare, they are more engaged in the workforce, which both fosters the development of future generations, and drives economic growth. This initiative is a crucial step toward creating a sustainable and thriving society." 

Currently, childcare supply is limited, and conventional approaches have often exacerbated the issue. The Investing in America partnership presents an opportunity for collaboration among government, businesses and stakeholders while allowing for the braiding of funds to enhance childcare services. By utilizing federal infrastructure funds to support wraparound services like childcare, county governments and their communities can effectively address workforce needs and sustainably strengthen local childcare systems, fostering long-term economic growth and opportunity.  

“Access to quality and affordable childcare is essential to strong families, a thriving workforce, and a robust economy,” said Quanic Fullard, senior associate with the Anne E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Economic Opportunity. “This initiative empowers local leaders to build sustainable and robust systems to meet their community's needs.” 

Over the next twelve months, the new network will: 

• Action plan to support for childcare providers to expand supply through blending and braiding public and private funding,
• Leverage Investing in America funds to build or renovate facilities,
• Strengthen sustainable systems finance through blending public and private funding streams, and
• Promote the exchange of best practices within and across state lines. 

NACo will support participating communities in fostering collaboration across sectors to tackle the childcare supply challenge, identifying sustainable funding sources to ensure the continued growth of childcare services and contributing to the creation of a national toolkit that highlights emerging and best practices in childcare supply-building. 

For more information about NACo’s early childhood and prenatal-to-three programming, click here.