NEWPORT – In an effort to increase the number of child care operations in Lincoln County, Oregon Coast Community College – with financial support from Northwest Oregon Works – is offering a four-part workshop in October designed to launch new childcare businesses.
“The tight labor market we’ve seen in recent months is unprecedented,” said Misty Lambrecht, the college’s Small Business Management coordinator and the creator of the childcare series. “There are myriad reasons for the difficulties local employers have had in finding and keeping good employees. One of these reasons, though, is a paucity of quality childcare – a shortage exacerbated by the pandemic.”
Lambrecht said if even one home-based childcare business opens, “that could mean as many as 10 workers could return to their jobs, secure in the knowledge that their children are safe and secure.”
The series will run from 4-7 p.m. four consecutive Tuesdays, Oct. 19 to Nov. 2 at the OCCC campus in Newport.
The program features a session on regulations, finance, and licensure, led by instructors from Linn-Benton Community College. Another will feature general information about business formation, operation, and finances, led by Lambrecht. A third workshop focuses on insurance and legal considerations. Participants will also register for an infant and child CPR/First Aid session, via independent study.
Other than a $55 fee for the first aid requirement, the workshops are free thanks to financial support from Northwest Oregon Works. To register, visit oregoncoast.edu/childcare-startups, or call 541-994-4166.
