The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce hosted a Childcare Roundtable on Friday, December 8, to focus on solutions to the problem of access to childcare and its impact on the workforce.

"Childcare is a foundational need in every community to ensure that anyone that wants to participate in the workforce can," said Columbia County Chamber President and CEO Russell Lahodny. "Right now, many of our childcare centers have a waiting list a year out.

"On the other hand, the cost of childcare averages around $10,000 per year, per child," Lahodny continued. "At a certain point, the entry-level jobs in our community will be harder to fill because it makes more sense for one parent to stay home with their children."

The roundtable discussion was a partnership between the Columbia County Chamber and the Greater Augusta Black Chamber (GABCC). It included directors and staff from more than ten regional childcare facilities, State Representative Jodi Lott from the 131st District, and State Representative Lynn Gladney from the 130th District. Additionally, representatives from Congressman Rick Allen's office and Senator Jon Ossoff's office were in attendance. Other representatives included Dr. Jermaine Whirl from Augusta Technical College, Jasmine Sims from Mayor Garnett Johnson's office, Dr. Steven Flynt from the Columbia County School District, and Robbie Bennett from the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization.

"GABCC understands childcare is a critical part of a growing workforce infrastructure and participating in an informative roundtable hosted by our partners, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce ensures we can advocate with a united voice for our region," said Greater Augusta Black Chamber President/Founder Ronic West. "We look forward to working together towards sustainable and effective solutions for our childcare facility owners, childcare employees, and parents that will impact a critical industry in our area."

"I greatly appreciate that the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is leading the conversation to address our region's many childcare concerns," said State Representative Jodi Lott.

"This roundtable discussion brought together our childcare providers, educators, employers, and elected officials and their staff, who all feel the constant tug of an inadequate system.

Though our regional childcare centers are excellent providers of care, we, as a group, have come together to coordinate our efforts, talents, and connections so that we may ease the burdens placed on

families and providers.   I look forward to working alongside this team as we work to improve access to affordable childcare in our region.”

"At this juncture, how we work together to solve the problem of early childcare in our community will ultimately determine our regional sustainability,” said State Representative Lynn Gladney. “I'm excited to see that we have an opportunity to leverage all levels of leadership with the collective efforts of public and private partnerships to respond to a need for all families to make our community better.”

The Columbia County Chamber, through its Government Affairs Committee, will be working with our elected officials and partners throughout the region to help find a solution to the challenges that childcare presents to our growing workforce.