United Way of Greater Charlottesville (UWGC) and the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation are excited to share that $100,000 in collaborative grants have been awarded to create an estimated 102 of new student slots at early childhood care and education providers throughout the Greater Charlottesville area. Grant funding and additional supportive resources were provided through UWGC’s FY25 School Readiness Impact Grants program to help meet our area’s persistent childcare needs. UWGC estimates that there is currently a shortfall of 2,682 slots for children ages 0-2 and 618 slots for children ages 3-4 in the City of Charlottesville and Counties of Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange.
Impact Throughout our Region
Awards were made to private centers, nonprofits, and licensed Family Day Homes, in an effort to encourage growth among a diversity of providers. Two of the seven grants were made to centers located in counties outside of the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, where childcare access is especially limited. The following grant recipients will make improvements to physical classroom spaces, invest in critical learning materials, and hire new staff in order to accommodate increased student capacity. A special emphasis has been placed on opportunities to increase services to children ages zero to two, given the most significant need among the infant/toddler age group:
- All Kidz Christian Childcare (Albemarle County)
- Antioch Christian Academy Daycare Center (Fluvanna County)
- Kidz Nation Academy at Harvest Church of God (Albemarle County)
- Mountain Lake Childcare (Albemarle County)
- Piedmont Family YMCA at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital (Albemarle County)
- Piper Ivy Preschool (Greene County)
- Tams Toddler Town (Albemarle County)
Plans for the Grants
Thomasina Turner, local Head Start teacher turned Family Day Home operator, and most recently, Owner and Director at Mountain Lake Childcare (one of the grant recipients listed above) shared that: “Receiving this grant has had a profound impact on our childcare journey. It has empowered us to transform our outdoor space into an enriching environment where children can both play and engage in experiential learning. Additionally, the grant is providing essential funding to hire additional staff and launch much-needed programs, such as before- and after-school care that is vital to sustaining childcare services for working families. I am sincerely honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve and uplift our community through this support.”
Addressing the Slot Shortfall
UWGC President & CEO Ravi Cooper offered additional context: “Too many children in our community lack access to the high-quality early learning environments they need to thrive – and too many working families are forced to choose between earning a living and finding reliable childcare. This program will provide a model for success and encourage investment from additional private and public sector partners. We are incredibly grateful to the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation for their innovation and support in bringing this program to life.”
With over $1,000,000 in requests received from 36 local childcare centers, additional funding could certainly help expedite UWGC’s work in reducing the region’s slot shortfall, while addressing vital needs in early childhood teacher workforce. From 2019 to 2021, the number of childcare workers in the U.S. declined by more than 20% and is still well-below pre-COVID levels (Center for American Progress). UWGC, with support from the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation, has launched a separate pilot program to support teacher credentialing and increased wages, with the goal of encouraging hiring and retention at local centers; however, with a median wage nationally of $14.60/hour for childcare workers, compared to $15.50/hour for food preparation and serving occupations (U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics), the childcare sector still has yet to crack what a sustainable financial model looks like at scale.
A 2022 study conducted by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, Virginia Chamber Foundation, and Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond found that 64% of Virginia employers would consider childcare referral services as part of an employee benefits package, and 37% would consider directly sponsoring employee childcare. Though fewer than 20% of employers currently offer these benefits, new partnership models with the private sector could help address affordability, while supporting the financial stability of local centers. As the backbone organization for the Virginia Business Roundtable for Early Education, UWGC hopes to continue to promote investment and innovation throughout our system of early childhood care and education.
Holly Hatcher, President & CEO of the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation added, “With 90% of a child’s brain developing by age five, access to quality childcare is crucial, both for healthy childhood development and for working families. Our region and Commonwealth will thrive once we fully invest in our littlest learners and future workers. We look forward to continued multi-sector collaboration to improve the early childhood ecosystem.”
