2026 CDS Annual Conference

This research project focuses on the availability of childcare in an eight-county rural and urban area in coastal Georgia. The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America is directly adding 8,500 jobs to this region, increasing the demand for labor in this area. Community leaders identified Childcare as a factor keeping people out of the labor market. This study establishes, for both rural and urban counties, the current and future supply of and demand for childcare in the region. It also identifies where gaps in care exist and strategies to address the challenge.