Stories from the Mountains: “New Beginnings Child Care”

The Mountain Association for Community Economic Development turns 40 this year. To help celebrate this milestone, the organization has taken a step back to reflect on the amount of just economic transition that’s taken place in the region over the past 40 years. They’ve been collecting stories, and have compiled them on a new website, “Stories from the Mountains.”

Renew Appalachia is proud to share some of those stories over the holiday months, as a way to spread the hope and joy that is present when the people of eastern Kentucky begin to rebuild their communities together, with an eye on the future. 

“Kentucky is one of many states that operate a child care assistance program, which reimburses child care providers who accept children from low-income families. But the program is vastly underfunded. This puts a strain on child care providers who aren’t receiving enough to cover their services, causing many to close. But also on parents, many who don’t qualify for assistance because eligibility is too restrictive.”

One such facility is New Beginning Childcare in Hazard, Ky. Check out its story, here.

MACED intends to keep adding good stories about great work that’s been happening in the region for decades to their website. If you’d like to learn more about what’s been happening, and follow along as MACED continues adding stories, keep checking in over at “Stories from the Mountains.”