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Region 2 council chair urges Go Virginia board to allow childcare projects to support talent attraction
Summary
The chair of the Go Virginia Region 2 council asked the state board to permit Go Virginia funding for projects that expand childcare availability to support talent attraction and retention, citing a Virginia Early Childhood Foundation figure that 10,000 children were waitlisted for childcare as of January 2025.
During the public-comment portion of the Go Virginia State Board meeting, Dr. William Amos, chair of the Go Virginia Region 2 council, submitted a written comment that staff read aloud asking the board to allow Go Virginia funds to support expanded childcare services as a strategy for talent attraction and retention in traded industry sectors.
In the read statement, Dr. Amos said the request was made on behalf of the Region 2 council and asked the board to consider policy changes similar to Board Policy 17 (which permits projects supporting the healthcare sector) so that Go Virginia funding could be used in areas identified as childcare deserts. The written comment noted, citing the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, that “as of January 2025, 10,000 children were waitlisted for childcare services.” The statement said Region 2 will present a formal proposal to the state board in September.
Why it matters: Board policy decisions that expand eligible project types could enable Go Virginia funds to be deployed for childcare capacity-building where lack of care constrains regional workforce participation. The request frames childcare expansion as a direct workforce development tool to create and retain jobs in priority industries.
Board response and next steps: Staff acknowledged the written comment on the record; the public-comment period was closed with no immediate board action reported on the request. The comment referenced Board Policy 17 as a comparable precedent and indicated Region 2 plans to submit a formal proposal for board review at the September meeting.
Attribution: The text read into the record was a written submission from Dr. William Amos, chair of the Go Virginia Region 2 council. Cody (staff) read the comment aloud during the public-comment period.
