WILTON — Western Maine Community Action is conducting a Community Needs Assessment to evaluate local and regional childcare and youth services in the Wilton area. The assessment, which can be completed online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NTNVXRK, will evaluate the overall need for both early childhood education and school age youth services in and around the Wilton/Farmington region.

Once complete, WMCA will partner with the YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston to analyze responses and identify the most pressing needs. If specific gaps in services are identified, WMCA and the YMCA will work together with other stakeholders to find and prioritize program funding relating to such needs.

Key Findings in state-wide assessments note increased needs in the areas of access to quality and affordable pre-school education, access to basic needs, food insecurity, heating and rent assistance, and quality indoor and outdoor before and after school programs. Additional findings estimated that over 1100 children in our region are considered to be in poverty, and common barriers to employment in the area were identified as transportation, job opportunities, job/training and childcare.

“The Community Needs Assessment allows us to focus our strategy on the most pressing needs of our community,” says Jim Trundy, Executive Director of Western Maine Community Action. “We will be working with our current partners to address these needs. We are also looking to the community to assist us in identifying solutions.”

For more information on the Community Health Needs Assessment, please contact Jim Trundy at [email protected] or visit WMCA.ORG

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