New affordable child care program launched by Bannock County, United Way of Southeastern Idaho

Envato Elements POCATELLO (Idaho Capital Sun) — A new partnership between Bannock County and the United Way of Southeastern Idaho aims to provide affordable and accessible child care to eastern Idaho’s working families. The KIDS First Coalition, a pilot program that launched Wednesday, is “designed to help more parents stay in the workforce, support local employers, and grow the regional economy,” according to a Bannock County press release. For more information, go to idkidscoalition.org or send an email to idkidscoalition@gmail.com. “The high cost and limited availability of child care — driven by provider shortages, low wages, and high turnover — are major hurdles for Idaho parents, limiting their participation in the local economy,” the press release said. “At the same time, recent data shows a drop in southeast Idaho’s labor force numbers from 2024 to 2025, meaning more people are leaving the workforce entirely. The high cost of child care is a key reason why.” According to a 2025 Idaho Department of Labor child care and workforce participation report, the lack of affordable child care in the state had tangible effects on working parents and the state’s economy. The report found: 22,000 parents in Idaho cut work hours to care for a child 19,000 parents took unpaid leave to care for a child 14,000 parents used vacation or sick leave to care for a child 25,000 parents left or lost a job (compared to 5,000 in 2023) to care for a child 36,000 women and 20,000 men altered work arrangements in some way to care for a child This graphic shows that the overall amount of an Idaho’s family income that goes toward child care has been steadily increasing over the last 10 years. | Graphic courtesy of the Idaho Department of Labor The coalition says it will split the cost of child care three ways using the “tri-share model,” which calls on employers, employees and local governments to fund the program. Bannock County and the city of McCammon have provided one-time funding from their fiscal year 2025 budgets to help pilot the program, the press release said. The United Way, Pocatello’s Biggie and Smalls Learning Center, and Southeast Idaho Council of Governments are the first employers that will participate in the program. “Access to child care is a primary issue for building a sustainable workforce,” said Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Hough in the release. “We’re making a smart investment in our economic future. When parents can reliably work, our businesses thrive, and our community grows stronger.” The coalition will offer onboarding and administrative assistance to employers that want to participate in the voluntary program. The KIDS First Coalition is looking for more employers, child care providers, and community partners to join Tri-Share Pilot Program. “Quality child care is the infrastructure that supports everything else: families, businesses, and communities. The KIDS First Coalition and the Tri-Share Pilot Program is a locally led response to the challenges our community is currently facing,” said Tennille Call, director of education at United Way of Southeastern Idaho. “The Tri-Share model represents the kind of innovative partnership our region needs, and we are proud to help lead this effort toward stronger families, a stronger workforce, and a stronger Idaho.”The post New affordable child care program launched by Bannock County, United Way of Southeastern Idaho appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com