Jobs grow, population doesn't: child care summit pitches area employers on solutions

None of the four counties whose leaders gathered in McPherson on Tuesday, Aug. 25, is gaining population even as jobs are added — a squeeze that regional workforce officials told business leaders child care could ease.

The summit, held at the McPherson Community Center, was convened by the McPherson County Community Foundation with childcare zone grant recipients in Harvey, Marion and Rice counties. McPherson and Marion counties received a state grant under that program in June 2025 to address the child care shortage.

Betsy Davis, director of community services for the foundation, opened the event by framing reliable, affordable, high-quality child care as a business and community growth issue rather than only a family one.

Keith Lawing of the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas said that if current trends hold, the region will grow increasingly dependent on attracting outside residents just to maintain its current workforce, let alone fill new jobs. “How are we going to support the business and industry if we have a shrinking population and we have people who could work that are out of the workforce.” Lawing said.

He pointed to a child care stipend or other assistance in an employee benefits package as one entry point for businesses, describing it as a recruitment and retention tool as well as a benefit to workers.

John Trowbridge, a CPA with AGH, said recent changes have made child care tax credit programs more attractive than in the past. He added that while some operate on a first-come, first-served basis, the State of Kansas has never fully used all the available funding.

Amanda Poyser of Child Care Aware of Kansas outlined other resources and federal incentives available to employers looking to establish child care benefits or invest in solutions for working families.

Maria Pressnall, human resources director at The Bradbury Co. in Moundridge, said the company already subsidizes its employees' costs at the town's one daycare provider, and that open spots for workers have long been a problem. “Daycare decisions play into the decision whether someone can take a job, ideally we have people moving in that need daycare solutions.” Pressnall said, “Anything that makes the community a more desirable place to work benefits our business as well.”

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