Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Childcare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Johnson County proclaims Provider Appreciation Day; supervisors praise childcare wage-enhancement work
Summary
The board adopted a proclamation recognizing May 9, 2025 as Provider Appreciation Day and supervisors used the occasion to praise Johnson County’s childcare wage enhancement and ongoing efforts to sustain support for early childhood providers.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Thursday adopted a proclamation declaring May 9, 2025 as Provider Appreciation Day and heard remarks from early childhood providers and advocates about workforce challenges and county support.
Missy Forbes, executive director of 4C’s Community Coordinated Child Care, thanked the board and highlighted the demands of the profession. “It’s a hard job,” Forbes said, and she described county efforts including a wage-enhancement program that the board and county staff created to increase pay for child care workers.
Several supervisors praised providers and discussed the wage-enhancement effort. One supervisor said the county has “been leading the way in those innovative ideas,” and another noted concerns about sustaining the wage enhancement once ARPA funds expire: “I hope that we can find a way to keep that going after the ARPA money’s gone,” a supervisor said. Board members publicly credited county staff members Lynette Jacoby and Lori Nash for their work implementing the program.
Other providers and peer-support speakers described growth in client visits and peer-moderated groups; Leanne Courtney and colleagues said their programs increased from roughly 100 visits a month to several hundred and that a peer group grew from four to 14 participants since December.
The proclamation was adopted by a 5-0 vote. County supervisors and presenters encouraged residents to recognize early care educators and noted ongoing efforts to stabilize and expand the child care workforce.
