West Virginia
Working families in West Virginia need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in West Virginia. But too many working families in West Virginia are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the West Virginia economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 109K children ages 5 and under in West Virginia – 56% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in West Virginia is around $10,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 27% of eligible families in West Virginia. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in West Virginia earn just $22,060 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
West Virginia’s economy loses $464M annually due to child care challenges.
West Virginia: In The Headlines
W.Va. child care advocates stress importance of funding
The Register-Herald | April 30, 2024
Johnson, the mother of a 2-year-old son, Otto, said she and her partner are considering leaving West Virginia after learning that the child care facility their child attends in Oak Hill, A Place To Grow, may close due to a lack of state funding.
Small-business Owners Face Challenges with Affordable Child Care
WV News | April 11, 2024
A survey by the Small Business Majority found that 59% of small-business owners said the lack of access to affordable child care is hindering their business growth.
As child care in West Virginia gets more expensive and less accessible, Lewis County families share their struggles
Mountain State Spotlight | sEPTEMBER 25, 2024
From Walkersville to Weston, parents in the county said child care cost and availability has made their lives difficult.
West Virginia Resources & News
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