United Way opens Childcare Resource Center in Cape Girardeau

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — The United Way of Southeast Missouri will open the region’s first Childcare Resource Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Nov. 19 at 16 N. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau.

The organization is inviting the community to tour the new center and learn more about efforts to reduce barriers to family and workforce success.

Matthew Ellison, director of special initiatives and manager of the center, said the launch was made possible through support from AmeriCorps.

“We are excited to bring the United for Childcare Resource Center to our community with the support of AmeriCorps,” Ellison said. “Childcare is not just a family issue; it is essential to our local workforce and economy. When parents can rely on safe, affordable childcare, they can work and provide for their families, and businesses can retain dedicated employees.”

The center will not provide direct childcare. Instead, its focus is on strengthening and expanding childcare options by serving as a resource for families, childcare providers and employers.

Staff will work directly with families to help them navigate childcare subsidies, find reliable placements and connect with wraparound services that support parents entering or staying in the workforce. The center will also support childcare providers by helping them overcome challenges in launching or sustaining their businesses.

By connecting families to care and giving providers the tools they need to succeed, the Childcare Resource Center aims to reduce workforce shortages, improve job stability for parents and provide employers with a more reliable labor force.

Ellison said the center is designed to be a welcoming place for families seeking one-on-one support.

“We invite the community to join us in learning more about how this effort will strengthen families and our local workforce,” he said.

The center is funded largely through an AmeriCorps grant administered by ServMO and staffed by AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps is a federal agency that engages more than 200,000 Americans each year in long-term service programs addressing community needs in education, health, economic opportunity and disaster response.

Community members can support the United Way’s childcare initiative by mailing donations to UWSEMO at 16 N. Spanish St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63701; donating online at unitedwayofsemo.org; calling 573-334-9634; or staying informed via social media, the organization’s newsletter or its website at United For Childcare – United Way of SEMO.