Answering the Call: Childcare Solutions for Working Families in Holmes County

September 9, 2025

Answering the Call: Childcare Solutions for Working Families in Holmes County

Imagine being a working parent in Holmes County with no safe, reliable place for your child before or after school.

No before- or after-school care options at all. Just a desperate patchwork of relatives, friends, or the rare in-home provider, if you can find one.

At United Way Wayne and Holmes Counties, we know community needs don’t get solved overnight. Every solution requires two things:

A champion – someone to lead the work.
Funding – because even the best solutions cost money.

Sometimes the same organization fills both roles. More often, it takes years of partnerships and persistence.

The Childcare Challenge

When I joined United Way in late 2018, one need rose to the surface quickly: childcare. Both Wayne and Holmes Counties face challenges, but Holmes County was especially hard hit.

In 2019, the Holmes Center for the Arts stepped up as a champion and launched before- and after-school programs at Millersburg and Killbuck Elementary Schools. Families finally had an option—until COVID disrupted everything and the program faded away.

Still, the calls from parents didn’t stop. Families were desperate, not just for childcare, but for affordable childcare.

A Champion Steps Forward

In early 2025, a group of concerned citizens rallied around this crisis. That’s when the YMCA of Wayne County stepped forward to become our champion- utilizing a group of concerned and caring community members as an advisory board.

And it was the right move. The YMCA of Wayne County has decades of experience, trained staff, and a proven track record in childcare. They know how to provide safe, credentialed before- and after-school care programs. Parents can focus on work knowing their kids are cared for.

But the second question remained: who will pay for it?

The Reality of Family Budgets

Some might say, “Parents should just pay for childcare.” But let’s look at the numbers.

A survival budget for a family of five (two adults, two school-aged children, one infant) earning $70,000 per year looks like this:

Household income: $70,000
Basic survival expenses: $87,600
Budget gap: -$17,600

And that’s just for bare-bones needs like housing, food, transportation, and childcare. It doesn’t even include clothes, school supplies, internet access, or extracurricular activities.

Families are working hard, but the math simply doesn’t add up.

Side note: Who is Alice? Why does this reference an ALICE Household or ALICE Budget?

Our Role – We Help

That’s where United Way Wayne and Holmes Counties steps in. We work alongside the YMCA of Wayne County to provide childcare scholarships for families who are working but earning too much to qualify for government aid—and not nearly enough to make ends meet.

In August, our Board of Directors approved a $24,000 grant to the YMCA of Wayne County to launch affordable before- and after-school care in Millersburg. Thanks to this support, parents won’t have to choose between childcare and food.

But here’s the truth: $24,000 doesn’t last long. The need is bigger than one grant.

You Can Help too…

Every child deserves a safe place to learn and grow, and every parent deserves the peace of mind that their kids are cared for. You can be part of the solution.

Donate: Text WeHelp to 44-321 or CLICK HERE to support families in our community.
Get Involved: Interested in shaping the future of childcare locally? Contact ashley@uwwh.org to join the advisory committee.

Together, we can answer both questions: Who will be the champion? Who will pay for it?

With your support, the answer is all of us.

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Why we stay nonpartisan

By Katie Koglman • October 7, 2026

United We Help: Why United Way Wayne and Holmes Stays Nonpartisan Turn on the television. Scroll social media. Check your mailbox. Election season brings a steady stream of political messages, each competing for our attention and asking us to choose a side. It can be overwhelming, especially when you are trying to separate facts from opinions and decide whom to trust. At United Way Wayne and Holmes Counties, we value the trust our community places in us. That is why we want to be clear about our role during elections.We do not endorse candidates, oppose candidates, or tell people whom to vote for. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we are prohibited from participating in political campaigns for or against candidates for public office. This is a legal requirement , not simply an organizational preference. Our responsibility is to serve Wayne and Holmes Counties and bring people together to help our neighbors. Nonpartisan does not mean silent We see the challenges people face every day: families struggling to afford groceries, workers facing transportation barriers, children needing opportunities to learn, and neighbors searching for mental health support. We have a role in helping our community and policymakers understand those needs. We can share information, educate elected officials, build relationships, and speak up about issues connected to our mission. We can also engage in some lobbying on specific legislation, within the limits that apply to charitable organizations. Speaking up about a community need is different from asking you to vote for a particular candidate. Can we do that? Our “Can We Do That? A Quick Guide to Nonprofit Advocacy” graphic uses a traffic-light approach to explain the difference. Green: Speak up for our community. Share stories, explain community needs, educate policymakers, and encourage civic participation. Yellow: Know the rules. Supporting or opposing specific legislation is lobbying, which comes with limits and responsibilities. Red: No candidate endorsements. We cannot support or oppose candidates, contribute organizational funds to their campaigns, or use our organizational voice to tell you whom to elect. We can encourage people to register and vote, and provide voter information, as long as those efforts remain neutral and do not favor or oppose candidates or political parties. Your vote belongs to you You may hear us discuss hunger, literacy, housing, transportation, or other issues affecting local families. You may see us meeting with elected officials to help them understand what is happening in our communities. Those conversations are about the people we serve. They are not candidate endorsements. We encourage you to ask questions, examine reliable information, learn about candidates, and make your own informed choices. The neighbors who turn to us for help have different backgrounds, beliefs, and political views. So do the donors, volunteers, and partners who make our work possible. Helping our community takes all of us. Election season will come and go. Our commitment to Wayne and Holmes counties continues regardless of the outcome. We encourage all of you to vote, and vote for who you think is the best candidate! Early voting begins October 6, 2026 through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026 and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. To find where you should go to vote Click Here. Go VOTE!!