Loudoun County child care providers and families with young children are encouraged to participate in a survey and/or focus groups intended to help better inform the county’s efforts to support the child care needs of the community. The survey and focus groups are part of the county’s Child Care Needs Assessment, which is exploring issues related to affordable, high-quality child care in Loudoun County.
Child Care Needs Assessment Survey
The Child Care Needs Assessment Survey, which will be open through March 14, 2024, is designed to find out:
- The biggest challenges for families in identifying, accessing and paying for child care services in Loudoun County.
- The biggest challenges child care providers face in supplying affordable, high-quality services for children from birth to five years old, including gaps in local coordination and services among early care and education providers.
Focus Groups
Loudoun child care providers and families with children five years old and younger may also choose to participate in focus groups scheduled for March. There will be in-person and virtual options. Details about the focus groups, including exact dates and times, as well as links to sign-up forms will be posted at loudoun.gov/childcareneeds.
Child Care Needs Assessment
The Board of Supervisors approved using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to conduct the Child Care Needs Assessment as part of the county’s effort to address the impacts of the economic challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic that residents continue to face. Access to high-quality, affordable child care is a key factor in creating a community of healthy children and families. The Board of Supervisors also approved ARPA funds for future programs which address barriers identified in this needs assessment.
Prior to the needs assessment results, the Board allocated $1,000,000 in ARPA funding to the nonprofit Northern Virginia Family Service to help create a child care supplementary reimbursement program to support families who are experiencing hardship as an ongoing result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More information about the Child Care Needs Assessment, including links to the survey, may be found at loudoun.gov/childcareneeds.
# # #