While the need of childcare continues to grow locally, one regional organization is going back to its roots to help where it can.

Officials with YWCA, the largest childcare provider in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, met together at their Bristol, Va. headquarters Thursday morning to formally announce their name change to YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia — signifying the growth of the organization and its pending outreach to the region.

“We felt this was the right thing to do,” said Kathy Waugh, YWCA CEO.

According to Waugh, Bristol will remain the regional headquarters for YWCA but officials are starting to form partnerships with surrounding counties to promote the resources available. Eight counties are being served in Northeast Tennessee thanks to the expansion, including Carter County.

“Our expansion will happen very systematically and intentionally, primarily through regional partnerships, which is the most cost effective and best practice for expanding nonprofits today,” Waugh said. “Regional partnerships will allow us to customize program implementation to meet the needs of each unique community.”

YWCA offers childcare in two different locations, downtown Bristol and the Child Development Center on the Bristol Regional Medical Center Campus.

Families have filed in across both Tennessee and Virginia since childcare was introduced by the program nearly 30 years ago, according to Waugh.

In 2015, 176 families were added to the waiting list for the care while 42 percent of families earned an annual income of $15,000 or less during that year. Since 2000, the Children’s Center has received the 3-Star rating from the Tennessee Star Quality program.

Another key component of YWCA is promoting afterschool STEM programs, which will also be looking at growth thanks to the partnership, Waugh added.

YWCA’s mission is to also empower women from both states. From wellness programs to the ever-popular Moms-R-Us program for teen parents, Waugh added the organization will continue to identify “like-minded” partners to further the development of work for the mission of empowering women.

“When we started in 1943, we served women from this region,” she said. “People were coming to Bristol to work, so they were coming to our facility. Now we’re reaching out and going to them. It really is like we’re going back to our roots. This is a monumental moment for us.”

Waugh added the organization is hoping to bolster its presence in Carter County and is looking for partners. To learn more about YWCA, visit www.ywcatnva.org or call (423) 968-3444.