HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The ARPA Task Force in Reno County wants to see the bulk of the money for COVID relief go to child care.
The final report said, "We ask that you commit substantially all or a significant portion of ARPA funds to addressing the local childcare system and partner with the K-Ready Reno County Coalition to determine the most strategic, equitable, and sustainable investments for long-term impact."
Reno County commission chairman Daniel Friesen suggested that the county should have a study session to better digest the total report before making any final decisions.
The seven priorities listed in the report are:
1. Expanding childcare offerings/access: Participants focused on providing incentives to establish more childcare facilities (through local businesses, private centers, or community-based); supplementing salaries to attract workers to handle the gap in demand; providing financial incentives (to businesses or individual residents) to cover the expenses of these programs.
2. Strengthening workforce development programs: Participants recognized the need for creative programs that would educate, train, and attract/retain talented individuals into the community. This included a strong focus on job training programs for a full array of age groups, from school co-op apprenticeships, scholarships/loan repayment to attract young workers to job training programs for displaced workers.
3. Developing more affordable housing: Most ideas in this area centered on economic investments or incentives to develop affordable housing and/or rehab targeted neighborhoods.
4. Expanding mental health resources: Participants’ ideas centered on solutions that would provide the necessary funds to expand the County’s existing programs or provide counseling classes to help a broader population identify and address issues before they manifest into deeper problems.
5. Supporting local and small businesses: Participants focused on the significant impact of COVID closures on local businesses, especially those connected to travel and tourism. To address these issues, participants discussed grants, incentives, and ideas for attracting visitors to the community.
6. Expanding access to health care: Participants brainstormed expanding health care locations or mobile services coverage throughout the County. There was also a strong appeal for providing increased pay for front-line health care workers.
7. Developing recreational opportunities: Participants discussed opportunities to enhance quality of life through access to recreational activities such as river and trail access.
The county commission wants to move as quickly as possible to make decisions on the money. The market study on child care from the United Way that was funded in part by a grant from the Schmidt Foundation is planned for the next couple of months.
The intent is to talk about what questions they want a study session to answer and to put that discussion on the agenda in two weeks with the overall intent of setting that first study session at that time.