ARLINGTON, V.A. – On June 16, community leaders, business owners, and child care providers convened to launch the Arlington Child Care Alliance and endorse a pilot initiative to improve child care access and affordability. The participants, following presentations and conversations on the status of child care in Arlington, coalesced around a solution that is grounded in reality and ripe for action: a pilot network of family day home providers that connects families to care, supports providers and gives employers a real benefit resource.

The pilot network will be a focus for the Arlington Child Care Alliance, a child care focused initiative launched through the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Participants contribute to small group discussion at the Arlington Child Care Alliance Kick Off

The kick off featured presentations and remarks providing clear data on the challenges of high costs and lack of accessibility of child care in Arlington, and the downstream effects on our local economy and community.

Maureen Coffey, Arlington County Board member, examined the impact of young families leaving Arlington due to a lack of affordable quality child care. "Arlington County's fertility rate has dropped by about 25%, because people know that they cannot afford to stay here and have kids here," said Coffey.

Brian Bickers of Arlington County’s Department of Human Services noted that the average center costs for an infant and a four-year-old in Arlington County are $45,240 per year—higher than in neighboring jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C. and Alexandria. “That would be a third of a median family salary,” said Bickers. “If you’ve got two kids here in Arlington and you’re making the average, more than a third of your salary is just going to care of the kids. That’s not buying a crib, that’s not buying food.”

Data from the Arlington Chamber's surveys of working parents and employers indicated that while 80% of parents cited high costs as a challenge, flexibility and access to back-up and emergency care were also top concerns.

Participants explored several options for a pilot initiative, each aimed at addressing Arlington's key child care challenges. 20 Degrees, a firm specialized in assisting nonprofits and child care providers in evaluating systems and structures, facilitated the discussion of each option.

The recommendation to pilot a network of family day home providers emerged as a compelling, community-driven strategy to expand access and offer families across income levels more flexible, affordable care options. Through group discussion, county data, and a real-time walk-through of the child care business model, participants reached a shared understanding: Arlington’s current system is financially unsustainable and operationally brittle. Organizing providers into a coordinated network would not only ease the burden on individual providers through professional development, peer learning, and streamlined administration, but also connect working families and employers with available, high-quality care in the community.

The Arlington Child Care Alliance will next engage with local family day home providers to begin shaping a pilot network that offers meaningful value and support for participants. The pilot will be the focus of the Alliance as part of its broader efforts to address Arlington's child care needs. Chamber President & CEO Kate Bates closed the event by emphasizing the far-reaching impact of child care on the community. “Improving access to quality, affordable child care is not just about supporting working families; it’s about strengthening our workforce, supporting our local economy, and building a more inclusive, resilient Arlington," said Bates.

ABOUT THE CHAMBER

Founded in 1924, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 600 businesses that cultivates connections, shapes policies, and empowers Arlington’s economic future. The Chamber supports our members through networking, advocacy, professional development, and community engagement. For more information or to become a member, visit www.arlingtonchamber.org.