Community Groups Unite to Revolutionize Child Care in Lake Havasu City

In a collaborative effort to tackle childcare challenges, the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce has partnered with First Things First. This initiative aims to address pressing needs for families, existing childcare facilities, and local businesses in the region.

As reported by the chamber, the partnership with the La Paz County and Mohave County office of First Things First seeks to enhance accessibility and quality in childcare services. The organizations have established guiding principles focused on supporting high-quality care, integrating local resources, ensuring diverse stakeholder representation, employing data-driven decision-making, and prioritizing actionable solutions.

Andrea Helart, president and CEO of the chamber, emphasized the significance of addressing childcare access for the local business community. “We envision gathering additional community feedback and involvement in the future,” she stated, highlighting the initiative’s early planning phase.

During a recent stakeholder meeting, the group outlined the next steps, examining local data and exploring potential partnerships to foster progress. Vanessa Sandoval, the regional director for First Things First in La Paz and Mohave County, reinforced the notion that childcare is not just a family concern, but also an economic one. “Improving the childcare system will require collective effort,” she added, noting that a robust childcare infrastructure could enable more parents to pursue employment opportunities.

Arizona is grappling with a childcare crisis that costs the state approximately $4.7 billion each year in lost earnings and productivity. Many working parents are forced to miss jobs or leave the workforce due to a lack of affordable childcare alternatives. While the financial impacts specific to Lake Havasu City remain unclear, it is evident that there is a shortage of quality childcare options for young children.

Statistics indicate that approximately 1,000 children in Lake Havasu City, living in households with working adults, lack access to reliable childcare services. The Child Care Task Force is scheduled to convene today to advance its strategic planning efforts further. For anyone interested in contributing to this conversation, inquiries can be directed to Helart at andreah@havasuchamber.com.