Regional board taps local leaders to form childcare subcommittee

A regional consortium of municipalities and counties agreed to form a childcare subcommittee to develop local and state strategies to expand child-care capacity and to take recommendations to legislators.

Moderator (speaker 2) opened the agenda by proposing subcommittees and said the first topic would be childcare. Chairman Joe Passaman said the South Carolina Association of Counties will take up the issue statewide and a regional subcommittee could prepare a blueprint for legislative action. The board discussed whether the work should be local, regional or tied directly to statewide efforts.

Several municipal leaders supported a unified voice so municipalities can shape state legislation. Councilman Kemp urged attention to local differences — for example, churches perform much childcare in parts of Jasper County — and cautioned against a one-size-fits-all approach. The board emphasized the need to give a subcommittee clear direction rather than an open mandate.

Community organizations volunteered to participate. Orlando Lewis, who identified himself as “the head start early head start director for Beaufort Jasper EOC,” offered to chair and recommended a community assessment as a first step: “I would like to make, for the sub this particular subcommittee is that a community assessment being completed so we can take a look at the data,” he said. Tom (speaker 10) from the chamber and Doug McGill (speaker 13) of Bluffton also volunteered to serve.

The board asked the volunteer trio to draft a mission statement and membership recommendation and return with specific deliverables, including what the regional group should ask the legislature and how to coordinate with state associations. The consortium did not take a formal roll-call vote; members agreed to move forward and requested the subcommittee report back to the board with recommendations.