Bath County supervisors vote to help establish childcare facility

BATH COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Bath County is now on track to get its first licensed childcare facility.

Tuesday night the county’s Board of Supervisors voted to move forward with establishing a facility they anticipate will open early spring.

This comes after almost a year of surveys and assessments to determine the need for childcare.

According to county administration, using AARPA funds, the county will buy a modular building and secure a vendor to run the facility after completing site work. Total costs are anticipated to reach about $400,000. The board considered several options, including leasing and financing modular buildings.

The chosen vendor will run the site independently. County supervisors have assured the public during previous meetings that county taxpayer dollars will not be used to pay for any child’s care.

The land the facility will be placed upon is undergoing surveys and site assessments. This is land conveyed to the county from the school district, which the school board voted to convey to the county earlier this year.

This comes as communities throughout the Commonwealth have struggled to meet demand for child care.