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Economic development director says new Adams County program added 100 child-care slots in two years
Summary
Madison Peters of the Great River Economic Development Foundation told the board that Adams County lost 282 child-care slots over six years and described the Adams County CARES program—paid internships, tuition assistance and a $3,000 sign-on bonus—that she said added roughly 100 slots and supports workforce and small-business initiatives.
Madison Peters, vice president of the Great River Economic Development Foundation, briefed the Adams County Board on local economic-development efforts and a child-care initiative the foundation is coordinating with partners.
"As we're going into the second half of 2026, I wanted to come and share a few updates on the work GR Rediff is doing throughout Adams County," Peters said, and described a countywide decline of about 282 child-care slots (a roughly 14% decrease over six years). In response, the foundation and partners developed the Adams County CARES program to strengthen the child-care workforce using a three-pronged approach: a paid internship, tuition assistance and a $3,000 sign-on bonus for new workers entering the field.
Peters told the board the program has added about 100 child-care slots in two years, supported 10 students in early-childhood education and assisted 22 additional students pursuing child-care careers. She also described business-facing work: a "Scale Up and Secure" investor night that produced an investment for one local entrepreneur, a business quick-start guide, and concierge services for newcomers and employers seeking onboarding resources.
Peters framed the initiatives as workforce development: Career Spark exposed more than 800 eighth-graders to 30 local employers, and tuition assistance was secured for five high-school students to access career and technical training at Quincy Area Vocational and Technical Center. She asked board members to direct entrepreneurs in their districts to foundation resources.
The board thanked the foundation for its partnership. No funding request or county budget action on the CARES program was made during the meeting; Peters described programs supported by partner foundations and grants and indicated some funding came from community and private sources.
