The Ohio Chamber of Commerce and advocacy group Groundwork Ohio partnered with the U.S. Chamber Foundation to highlight the economic impact of childcare earlier this year.

In September, the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Great Start for Great Futures Coalition and Groundwork Ohio to host a regional summit.

The chamber and the Great Start plan to continue the discussion with a regional childcare action council.

Companies spend between $8,000 and $16,000 on average to hire and train a new employee, according to Liz Hibbs, director of the Early Childhood Education Alliance in Alliance.

It likely costs employers less to contribute toward employees' childcare costs.

So Alliance-area businesses began doing that about six years ago in an attempt to retain employees.

See Full Page