Finding adequate, affordable child care can be a challenge for any parent regardless of where they live. The problem is particularly acute in rural areas, however, where low population density makes it difficult to enroll enough children, and the right age range of children, for child care facilities to be sustainable. The low population density also makes it more difficult to recruit and retain qualified caregivers. The lack of options frequently forces parents to withdraw from the workforce, staying home to take on the role of full-time caregiver while limiting the community's economic growth.

Some strategies we've seen from community leaders in rural areas across the Fifth District to address these shortages include:

• Locating a child care center at a community college where it can be staffed by students in the college's education training program.
• Targeting philanthropic investments and partnerships to expand Head Start access and make improvements to teacher training in the Danville, Va., area.
• Bundling child care and education programs like Head Start with workforce training and housing support for parents in a two-generation approach to breaking the cycle of poverty.

The Richmond Fed continues to look for new and creative ideas for how to improve child care access across the Fifth District, and its Investing in Rural America conference is a great platform for highlighting those efforts.

If you have ideas, share them with us!