Cubby’s Child Care Center Slated to Serve as a Host for Community Conversation on Impact of Child Care
On Monday, May 19, 2025, local child care program Cubby’s Child Care Center at All Saints is hosting a community conversation about the importance of child care on the local and state economies. This event is the first of a series across the state that will run through the months of May and June.
“Three years ago, WVAYC’s child care coalition began hosting town halls in the spring as a way for us to involve the community in discussions about the importance of quality child care, for not only our children and families but for our communities as a whole,” said Kristy Ritz, Executive Director of West Virginia Association for Young Children (WVAYC). “During this legislative session, we heard lawmakers talking about our state’s economy and our dismal workforce participation rate, but, yet again, child care was not a real part of those conversations, and it’s frustrating.”
The focus of these conversations will be on child care’s impact on local business communities. Attendees will hear firsthand from local business owners and employers about how the lack of affordable, accessible, quality child care is an absolute must for families to enter the WV work force.
Jennifer Trippett, owner of Cubby’s Child Care Center, which is the largest licensed child care program in the state, believes that “having affordable and available child care in a community means that parents have access to the support they need in order to be able to accept a job or continue their education and training. It also means that businesses in the community have access to a larger hiring pool, and community development groups have the infrastructure in place to bring new jobs to the area. Without affordable childcare, communities can’t grow, families can’t provide financially for their children and businesses can’t hire. “
“That’s 443 children in just one county whose working parents are unable to find a child care provider to help them enter and stay in the workforce,” said Amy Jo Hutchison, West Virginia Campaign Director for MomsRising. “We hear a lot of talk in the state house about getting people back to work and building our economy, but what we don’t hear is talk about the necessity for child care in terms of hiring and retaining employees, and these community conversations will be focused on that.”
Trippett hopes that lawmakers expand their thinking when it comes to child care and recognize the industry as one that supports children, families, and our economies.
“Child care programs around the state have been closing in record numbers and it’s not because there is a lack of children needing care. These programs are closing because child care programs simply cannot afford to stay open. If my center closed in Bridgeport, there are 450 parents that would have to consider leaving the workforce. The whole economic viability of a community is dependent on the fact that child care is available and affordable. I have over 400 children on a waitlist and yet I have classrooms closed because I cannot hire staff due to the wages I am able to provide. It’s beyond time for our state to protect, prioritize, and solve the child care issues,” said Trippett.
The “Child Care Community Conversation” will take place Monday, May 19, 2025, at 6 p.m. at All Saints Catholic Church, 317 E. Main Street, Bridgeport. For more information, contact Jennifer Trippett at 304-476-3551.
Editor’s Note: Cover photo is a shot from inside Cubby’s from a few years ago.