Beckley, W.Va. (September 6, 2024) – In collaboration with the West Virginia Association of Regional Councils, and supported by the WV Economic Development Council, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) is launching the West Virginia Child Care Economic Impact Survey to help provide an economic snapshot of the impacts that existing and prospective businesses see related to child care.

“The survey aims to gather valuable data to determine how the availability of childcare impacts workforce participation, employee retention, and overall business productivity,” said Jina Belcher, NRGRDA’s executive director. “Childcare is a growing priority for existing and new businesses throughout the Mountain State. We want to support the decisions being made by the Governor, state agencies and the Legislature with real-time data around the issue.”

Belcher said the information being collected in the West Virginia Child Care Economic Impact Survey will help identify the specific needs and concerns of businesses regarding childcare so everyone can work together to develop targeted solutions that support both the workforce and economic growth in West Virginia. “Child care funding is facing a looming cliff with pandemic-area funding ending soon,” she said. “These surveys will help assess and convey the extent to which West Virginia businesses encounter hurdles to child care and also highlight any concerns that prospective businesses looking to branch into the area may have.”

Belcher, a working mother, said the survey will be open until the start of legislative session. NRGRDA and the WV Association of Regional Councils are open to sharing data with state and federal agencies that can use it as part of their decision making.

“There are many facets to the child care dilemma facing West Virginia and the nation,” said Belcher. “We developed the survey instrument as a means for providing current, real-time data to policymakers in the forefront of making decisions that will have both short- and long-term impacts on business and economic development leaders, parents, and children.”

The survey can be accessed by visiting https://west-virginia-businesses-child-care-survey-region1.hub.arcgis.com/

NRGRDA’s website also features a page on child care and the survey: https://nrgrda.org/wv-childcare-economic-impact-survey/

About New River Gorge Regional Development Authority: The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority’s (NRGRDA) mission is to initiate, facilitate and support the economic and community development efforts within the counties of Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers. More can be found at https://nrgrda.org/

The West Virginia Hive – NRGRDA’s entrepreneurial arm – offers professional technical assistance for new and existing business owners throughout a 13-county region of southern West Virginia. Learn more at wvhive.com