HICKORY, N.C. (WHKY) — Business and community leaders gathered at the Hickory Metro Convention Center Wednesday to examine how North Carolina’s child care crisis is affecting workers and employers in Catawba County.

The Business, Workforce & Child Care Summit was organized by ExCEL NC, or Executives Championing Early Learning in North Carolina. Panelists included Conover City Manager Tom Hart; Peoples Bank Human Resources Director Margaret Ward; Klingspor Vice President of Human Resources Tammy Guess; Century Furniture Vice President of Human Resources and Benefits Amy Guyer; and YMCA of Catawba Valley Chief Operating Officer Paxton Tallent. Samantha Cole, a child care business liaison with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, moderated the discussion.

ExCEL NC estimates inadequate access to affordable child care costs Catawba County about $50.5 million a year. That total includes $39 million in lost business activity and approximately $11.5 million in lost state and local tax revenue. The coalition says roughly 8,185 Catawba County workers experienced employment disruptions related to child care during the past year.

Panelists said the problem affects industries ranging from retail and hospitality to health care and banking. Guyer said Century Furniture regularly has about 75 open positions, many of which require employees to be physically present and work structured schedules.

Ward said working from home is not an option for many banking employees and that a child care interruption can affect staffing and customer service. She cited one employee who pays $1,700 a month for care for two children—more than $10 from every hour she works.

Summit participants also discussed a statewide child care subsidy reimbursement floor recently approved by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Josh Stein. Supporters say it will bring subsidy payments closer to the actual cost of care, particularly in rural communities.

Economic modeling presented by ExCEL NC indicates the reform could add more than $252 million to North Carolina’s gross domestic product, raise personal income by $161.4 million and support about 4,030 jobs statewide, including more than 3,200 child care jobs. The coalition says broader action on child care could generate as much as $7.5 billion in additional state GDP and support up to 60,000 jobs.