Early Childcare Town Hall to be held in Copper Country
HOUGHTON – Parents, employers, educators, providers, and community members are invited to look at the challenges and possible solutions to early childhood care and education in Houghton County by joining the Copper Country Great Start Collaborative (CCGSC) for a community town hall. The town hall will be held at Michigan Technological University’s Memorial Union Building on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 starting at 8:30am.
Early childhood care and education is important resource to support families in our community and serves as an economic driver in rural communities. However, many Michigan communities, like Houghton County, are facing shortages of high-quality child care. The Copper Country Great Start Collaborative is participating in First Children’s Finance’s Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP) to help build a plan to increase the community’s capacity for early childhood care and education opportunities. RCCIP is a community engagement process designed to address the challenges of childcare in rural America.
“The shortage of high-quality child care and early education is one of the biggest challenges families with young children are facing in our community,” said Iola Brubaker, CCGSC Director. “It is our hope that working with RCCIP will provide our community with a plan to address this issue.”
The town hall will last about 90 minutes and is designed to provide an overview of the availability of Houghton County’s current early childhood care and education access as well as the impact of the shortage on families and employers. There will be an opportunity for individuals participating to share their thoughts on this issue.
A virtual option will be available for those unable to attend in person. Registration is required for virtual participation. Please visit the event on CCGSC’s Facebook page or call 906-482-9365 to register.
For more information about the town hall, please contact Iola Brubaker at ccgreatstart@gmail.com or call 906.482.9365.