The Washington Economic Development Group (WEDG) Executive Director Mary Audia spoke with KCII News about the childcare deficit in Washington County and what is being done to resolve the problem. According to Audia, there is an 844-slot childcare deficit in Washington County. In order to help narrow down the deficit, Audia states, “Currently here in Washington and in Kalona, we are working with some pretty big companies that want to start their own child care, and we are hoping to get a calibration of businesses and industry that are having issues and need help with their workforce and having a child care.”  WEDG was able to assist a child care center in Ainsworth in finding a location with a $27,000 Child Care Challenge Grant. That allowed forty nine child care slots to be removed from the deficit. The child care center is in the Ainsworth City Building, formerly the Elementary School.