During the last county court meeting on June 26, a discussion about the county’s investments in childcare and early childhood education took place. Some members of the community questioned how the previous court could have spent $1.7 million on childcare in Condon. The court began to deliberate grant applications from the Condon ELC and the Arlington Daycare Center. A member of the grants committee said that there was concern about the amount of money being requested by the Condon ELC. There were also questions about the non-profit’s business model.
It is our hope that the grants committee and the county court will carefully assess the issue before taking action. In our opinion, childcare could be a cost-effective way to bring more working families home to Gilliam County.
The absence of childcare is a problem across the country. In Oregon, all 36 counties are in a childcare desert for infants, and 35 of 36 counties are in a childcare desert for toddlers. A child care desert is defined as a place where there are at least three children for every child care slot available.
Many working families are forced to scale back employment due to a lack of childcare. Others ask for help from family members and jockey schedules each week. Some have decided to move away from the area due to an absence of childcare, long wait lists, or staffing challenges that result in unexpected closures.
Economists have studied this issue at length. They have found that for every dollar spent on childcare and early education, four dollars returns in the long run. Children are also better equipped for school and have higher graduation rates.
The problem for most counties is that they don’t have time to wait for childcare investments to pay off. Budgets are exceptionally tight.
Here in lies the opportunity for Gilliam County.
This year, the Gilliam County Court will likely have nearly $20 million carried over in reserve funds from last year’s budget. The county will also pass a budget of more than $80 million. Property taxes for wind and solar projects will begin to be paid this year.
And while the court is right to be fiscally conservative on many issues, childcare should be moved to the economic development box and out of the community services category.
If Gilliam County became a place where childcare was accessible and affordable – even incentivized, more young families would move home. We’re speaking about alumni and people with ties to the area, and young families that have employment opportunities.
The cost of living and outrageous housing prices are ruining the financial prospects for young people. Should Gilliam County offer strong childcare and childhood education services, more alumni and young families will take interest in moving to Condon and Arlington. The county could even go so far as to offer direct support to young families when both parents are employed – something similar to the Homestead Rebate offered for property taxes.
The result would likely be an increase in people looking for work, more entrepreneurs starting small businesses, and more kids feeding into the Condon and Arlington school districts, which would bring more funding for teachers and programs in those schools.
Instead of dreaming about a big company moving into Gilliam County that will bring workers, we should rethink the situation. The big company is already here. Waste Management has a critical need for more employees and most existing employees live outside of the county.
While the Arlington daycare center will need a significant investment to get restarted and Condon will need to complete its expansion and staff up to serve more kids – it is doable.
And while $1.7 million is a lot of money, it’s worth putting it into perspective and to consider the generational impact. It’s also worth looking at other items that the county prioritizes. For example, the county gave Avangrid more than $3.5 million in tax breaks a few years ago.
With a small population and large revenue streams, childcare is a smart investment for Gilliam County.
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