Community leaders looking to solve childcare crisis in Hancock County [Video]

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Hundreds of families are struggling to find and afford childcare in Hancock County, according to the Hancock County Childcare Collaborative, a group dedicated to studying and solving the issue.

“Some people might think, ‘Oh, it’s childcare. That doesn’t impact me.’ But when you want to live in a community that’s thriving economically, you have to look at childcare,” said Kimberly Bash, the chief community engagement officer of the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation and a member of the collaborative.

The collaborative spent 2023 studying the issue of childcare in Hancock County. The group found the county is short one thousand daycare spots; the spots that are available cost an average of $10,000 per child per year, according to the collaborative’s research.

“Families are making the decision for a parent to stay home because daycare is way too expensive, even if you can find it,” Director of Hancock …