OSWEGO COUNTY – Do you live in Oswego County and have young children or school-age children that are attending school on either a completely virtual or hybrid virtual/classroom schedule? 

The LIFT (Learn, Identify, Focus, Transform) Oswego Child Care Committee is conducting a survey on childcare and is looking for input from all families with children.

“Recent studies have identified the lack of available, flexible, accessible and affordable childcare as a significant barrier to employment and self-sufficiency for families across the county,” said Oswego County Department of Social Services Deputy Commissioner Marti Babcock. “COVID-19 has brought new challenges for families in supporting their children’s learning and providing care for younger children when they used to be in school.

“The LIFT Oswego Child Care Committee is conducting a survey to compile information about childcare needs in all areas of the county. We are asking all Oswego County families with children to tell us about their struggles with childcare.”

The survey is open until Tuesday, Oct. 31, and can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7CP7JZS. 

The committee’s goals are to:

• Identify available childcare and childcare needs in Oswego County based on child age, location, type of care and hours.
• Utilizing childcare data, create various childcare options through collaborative resources including funding, space, training, meals, staff, etc.
• Develop ongoing data collection and monitoring to be proactive in meeting the county’s childcare needs.
• Advocate for quality and accessible childcare in Oswego County including regulations, employer support, subsidy access and expansion of resources.

“The Department of Social Services receives an allocation of federal funds each year to help qualifying residents pay for their childcare with a sliding scale parent share,” said Babcock. “This allocation of funds has been under-utilized in recent years. Childcare costs are often one of the largest expenses in a household budget and can cause many families to struggle financially. If you think you may qualify for this help, please contact the Department of Social Services for more information.”

For more information, email childcare@oswegocounty.com, or call 315-963-5278.