Ad hoc Committee on Affordable Childcare and Early Childhood Development
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, composition of programs (in-home, centers, other) and 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.
