A Seminar was held Thursday morning in Cambria County in order to educate people on the childcare shortage in our area. The Seminar was held at Penn Highlands and discussed child care availability in Cambria County. Experts say child care availability in the area has plummeted 25% since the pandemic, with a lack of workers and wages below other industries — closing classrooms and child care programs.
Linda Thomson, President of JARI — explains why access to childcare is important in our region. Thomson saying: “We have about 1,500 jobs open in Cambria and Somerset counties, and how do we fill those jobs? Well, we need everybody who can work to be in the workforce, and one of the key barriers to people getting in the workforce is the fact that they may not have access to affordable childcare.”
The Learning Lamp, Cambria Regional Chamber, Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission, and JARI all partnered in order to host the event.
