Press release from YWCA of Asheville:
A grant from Dogwood Health Trust was awarded to the YWCA of Asheville to fund the development of a plan that will reimagine child care in Western North Carolina. With this funding, the YWCA is seeking RFPs for a business consulting partner to support the development of an expansion plan. This plan will provide a roadmap to grow our current model, add weekend and 2nd, and 3rd shift care, and address the massive need to recruit, train, and retain an early childhood educator workforce.
Child care is in crisis, YWCA of Asheville and WNC CEO, Diana Sierra shares “there are nowhere near enough childcare slots available to meet the demand for care in our community. This issue is compounded by too few credentialed teachers to expand programs. Many parents find the cost of care prohibitive, while childcare centers struggle to make ends meet. This has economic impacts that span across all industries and negatively affects both employees and employers.”
To address the need for flexible, low-cost child care, the YWCA offers Empowerment Childcare (ECC). The only program of its kind in WNC, ECC provides up to 12 hours of free childcare per week to families that are in school, attending job training, applying and interviewing for jobs or benefits, like housing and food assistance. ECC also provides low-cost care for families that are on waitlists for full-time care or that need more than 12 hours of care. Case management is available for parents to help them achieve economic advancement goals. However, the pandemic has increased the need for this type of care while staffing issues have forced the YWCA to reduce evening hours.
We are seeking the right partner that understands the needs of our community and can support the growth of a program that is sure to have positive impacts on the lives of so many. If you would like to learn more, please visit our website at ywcaofasheville.org for the full request for a proposal.
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