SEDC Child Care Study to be Conducted

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2025

SPENCER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 

MEDIA CONTACT

Alyssa Petersen
Coordinator of Administration & Communication
Iowa Lakes Corridor
Phone: 712-264-3474
Email: apetersen@lakescorridor.com

Spencer child care study to be conducted 

SPENCER, IOWA – Spencer Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) has contracted with First Children’s Finance (FCF) to complete a child care market study. The project will include studying the supply and demand for child care in the area. A component of the research is to gain input from parents that have children ages 12 or younger and are using child care or want to use child care in the community of Spencer. Through the survey, parents have an opportunity to share any challenges they may have experienced in finding child care, their preferences for child care, how child care affects their job, or if child care is keeping them from working.

Local child care providers and employers will also be asked to give input. A child care provider survey will help inventory the child care options available in the community and allow providers to give their perspective on the current supply of child care and how they feel the community can support child care in the future. Employers will be asked how the supply of child care affects their employees and job candidates.

All three surveys will be available February 7 to March 10, 2025. The link for the parent survey is www.surveymonkey.com/r/SpencerChildCare, and will be distributed through social media and other channels of the City of Spencer, Spencer Chamber of Commerce, and Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation. Child care providers and employers will be contacted directly and provided a link to complete the online survey.

“Child care is a major area of concern for our community and many like ours,” says SEDC President Philip Ramstack. “We are fortunate to be able to contract with First Children’s Finance to complete this market study and analysis which will provide insight to the barriers for our workforce and allow us to develop meaningful solutions.”

This study is made possible in part through a Rural Child Care Market Study grant through the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority; a Ripple Effect Grant through the Iowa Area Development Group; and a Power of Connection Grant through the Iowa Rural Development Council and Aureon.

To oversee the project, a child care steering committee was formed, consisting of Kevin Robinson (City of Spencer), Courtney DeLoss (Clay County), Philip Ramstack (SEDC), Sheriffa Jones (Spencer Chamber of Commerce), Terry Hemann (Spencer Schools), and Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation staff.

For more information about this project, contact Curt Strouth, President and CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation at info@lakescorridor.com or 712-264-3474.

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About the Spencer Economic Development Corporation (SEDC)

Spencer Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) is a local economic development agency for the City of Spencer and surrounding area. The purpose of the organization is to foster, encourage, promote, assist or otherwise aid economic development growth and development in the City of Spencer and surrounding area.