On Tuesday, Erie County Executive Brenton Davis, along with members of County Council, and Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority CEO Dr. Perry Wood announced a $2.5 million ARP fund investment from the county, along with a match of $2.5 million from ECGRA to address what officials termed as a child care crisis in Erie County.
In a release, county officials said that “access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential to the success of families and the workforce. This $2.5 million investment, by the direction of County Government, will be administered by ECGRA to support early childhood development, enhance childcare availability, and ensure that families in Erie County have the resources they need to thrive.”
In a recent report issued by the Jefferson Educational Society, researchers discovered that there was unmet demand for 1,500 childcare slots in the City of Erie, with another 1,000 slots in the rest of the county. ECGRA’s Wood said at a news conference Tuesday that it would take $10 million in funding to build the physical and human capacity to meet the need for childcare in Erie County.
