Lincoln mayor shifts $600,000 in stimulus funds to bolster child care, other workforce programs

Apr. 25—The city is shifting $600,000 of unspent federal stimulus money to further support child care, a commercial driver's license program and a nonprofit that helps refugee and immigrant women put their talents and skills to work.

"Together with our partners, we are using our American Rescue Plan funds to double down on key workforce needs in our community — and lift up the lives of our residents by increasing their economic mobility," Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said Thursday at a news conference.

Gaylor Baird said more than 800 people have been served through the workforce development programs so far.

The money is part of the $46 million the city got as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, and a portion of the $13.5 million of those funds directed toward workforce development.

The Lincoln Manufacturing Council got a $2.1 million grant for a program that offers manufacturing skills training, but the actual cost was less than anticipated, said Grace Willnerd, the city's ARPA compliance administrator.

Redirecting the unused money ensures all the federal money will be spent by the end of 2024, the deadline set by the federal government, Willnerd said.

Here's how the $600,000 will be redirected:

— $150,000 to support ECHO Collective, a nonprofit that empowers local refugee and immigrant women, by offering an intensive, four-month business education course through the American Job Center. In March, the city redirected another $75,000 to the program.

— $250,000 to support a commercial driver's license program offered by the American Job Center. Several months ago, the mayor redirected $400,000 in the stimulus funds to the program to help meet the demand for drivers.

— $100,000 to Lincoln Littles for an internship program in conjunction with the American Job Center for 30 participants. Participants will work at a child care center, will be paid during their internship and receive weekly educational opportunities to bolster their child care knowledge. The program dovetails a state stimulus grant-funded program that allowed new child care providers to get training.

—$100,000 to Cedars in support of its child care programs at the Northbridge Childcare Center. The funds will assist Cedars in providing stable access to child care for low-income families in north Lincoln.

Alec Gorynski, Lincoln Community Foundation President and CEO and Lincoln Littles board chairman, emphasized the importance of using the investments to address child care needs and strengthen the local workforce.

About 17,000, or 77% of children in Lincoln ages newborn to 5, have all parents in the household working and rely on child care. Suzanne Schneider, assistant director of Lincoln Littles, said there are 115 child care centers in Lincoln with around 3,000 staff members needed — and a turnover rate of 40%-60%.

"I want to thank the mayor for really strategic and thoughtful investment in our community's workforce development challenges in what we're characterizing as 'the workforce behind the workforce' — or our early childhood education employees," Gorynski said.

Contact the writer at mreist@journalstar.com or 402-473-7226. On Twitter at @LJSReist.

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