Overton Receives Block Grant for Low-Income Childcare Expansion

An Overton County child care facility will take advantage of a Community Development Block Grant to expand its operation.

UCDD Community Planner Rosa Smith said the Wonderbees Childcare on East Main Street will renovate its facility over the next six months.

“Here in the Upper Cumberland there is a need for childcare and with Overton County and Wonderbees they’re going to be able to expand,” Smith said. “But not only expand but be able to offer the hours so that people who want to get back into the workforce and have affordable childcare.”

Smith said across the region, but especially Overton County, parents want to get back to work but there is no availability of affordable child care. Smith said Wonderbees specifically agreed to offer affordable childcare when they applied for their grant.

“We’re seeing the effect of not having affordable child care right now,” Smith said. Especially in the workforce, that lack of staff.”

Smith said the grant also supports needed educational childcare.

“The children suffer because they are expected to know so much before they get into school, and they don’t have that,” Smith said.