#kriswarner

Top Business Official Says Expanding Access Key to Economic Development   West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner was in Wheeling last week to visit Noah's Ark Childcare and Learning Center on Wheeling Island and met with owner Beth Hinebaugh to discuss the financial challenges child care providers face. Warner emphasized that affordable child care is essential for improving West Virginia's workforce participation. "Affordable, high-quality child care is a foundational element of a healthy state economy," Warner said. "Child care is vital for stable families and a key factor in getting more West Virginians into the workforce." Prior to being elected secretary of state in 2024, Warner served as the executive director of the West Virginia Economic Development Authority. Over the last year, he has conducted a tour of child care facilities across the state to address what he describes as a "critical child care crisis" impacting West Virginia's workforce and economic development. Hinebaugh, who is also a candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates in District 5, stated that the lack of child care options creates a significant drag on the private sector by driving up employee turnover and absenteeism and maintained that expanding access would fuel greater economic growth and tax revenue while providing financial security for parents. "Businesses suffer from high turnover and call-offs when child care is unavailable," Hinebaugh said. "Providing better access is a win-win: it expands the economy and tax base while securing the financial future of working parents. It's good for families and it's good for business." Warner's visit to Wheeling comes on the heels of the West Virginia Legislature passing HB 4191, a bill hailed by advocates as a significant first step toward resolving the state's child care challenges. By switching state subsidies to an enrollment-based model, the new law provides what facility operators say is much-needed financial stability for providers. However, Warner cautioned that the legislation passed this year is a starting point rather than a complete solution. "While this bill stabilizes current centers, it does not fully address the shortage of available slots, leaving an estimated 26,000 children still without access to care across the state," Warner said. "For West Virginia to truly compete with its neighbors and to help address its workforce participation issues, continued and expanded investment must remain one of state government's top priorities." Read the full article