During its scheduled meeting Tuesday, October 3, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners granted approval for the Watauga Economic Development Commission to conduct a comprehensive study and analysis of childcare in the county.

The study will be conducted by Dancy Research, a North Carolina-based economic development research firm, who recently conducted a similar study for the Wilkes County Economic Development Commission. Cyndi Dancy, Owner and Principal, will team with Dr. Pamela Shue, an Associate Professor for in the Department of Family and Child Studies at Appalachian State University to conduct the research. They will use a collaborative and economic approach to gather pertinent information from statistical sources and stakeholders, identify gaps in service, and make recommendations of action steps to fill those gaps. The full study is projected to take seven months to complete.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we talk with Cyndi Dancy about how this type of data collection and community survey can help make the case for further work and investment on this important project. She'll also outline how  data will be collected and ways for the community to engage in the process.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by UNC Health Appalachian.