Pulse development · 1 cited source · September 24, 2026
Childcare benefits for workers
A Durham center and a Watauga County initiative are helping workers pay for their own children’s care as providers seek to retain staff.
At Kate’s Korner, the center provides employees with free childcare.
The benefit addresses a direct household calculation: an Appalachian State University study found that child care workers earned an average of $30,600 a year and that median monthly child care cost was $900. The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched a childcare assistance initiative with $40,000 in funding from local donors and businesses; the program provided assistance to 18 childcare employees with 22 children, averaging $684 per child.
Evidence
Each statement shown below is a verified claim this source supports.
- Childcare benefits for workers
- A Durham center and a Watauga County initiative are helping workers pay for their own children’s care as providers seek to retain staff.
- At Kate’s Korner, the center provides employees with free childcare.
- The benefit addresses a direct household calculation: an Appalachian State University study found that child care workers earned an average of $30,600 a year and that median monthly child care cost was $900.
- The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched a childcare assistance initiative with $40,000 in funding from local donors and businesses; the program provided assistance to 18 childcare employees with 22 children, averaging $684 per child.