Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.  

Today is Sunday, June 2, 2024. 

Developers announce plans for a sprawling, multi-use waterfront hotel in Wheeling…the state launches a mental health online resource for children and their caregivers…and a new program offers childcare training to WVU Extension Agents…on today’s daily304.

#1 – From METRO NEWS – Wheeling developer Barry Allen has announced plans for an upscale, multi-use hotel to be located on a full city block in downtown Wheeling.

The multi-use hotel will be located on the waterfront between Main Street and Water Street.

The bottom floor will feature retail space with a coffee shop, restaurant, and wine bar. The facility will include 122 guest rooms, eight condos on the top floor with one of them over 3,000 square feet overlooking the water. The plans also call for a rooftop bar and event space.

Allen said the plan will be to break ground by this coming winter and have the hotel fully operational by 2026.

Read more:

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/05/21/waterfront-hotel-planned-for-wheeling/

#2 – From WV PUBLIC – Schools and families in West Virginia have access to a new mental health resource. ParentGuidance.org is a 24/7 online platform that assists those who care for children to address and elevate their own mental health wellness and self-care.

Parents and families can access regular one-on-one parent coaching, on-demand parenting sessions taught by licensed therapists, as well as “Ask a Therapist,” a frequently updated question-and-answer forum.

The resources are made possible through a three-year contract between the West Virginia Department of Education and the national nonprofit The Cook Center for Human Connection. The Cook Center lists its current focus as eradicating suicide by offering youth mental health resources to support children, families and schools.

Read more:

https://wvpublic.org/new-online-mental-health-resources-available-to-parents-caregivers-and-schools/

#3 – From THE INTERMOUNTAIN – To address a shortage of child care providers in the Mountain State, West Virginia University Extension agents are helping train staff to work at child care centers, offering children a safe place to learn and grow.

The Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist program — a collaboration between the West Virginia Legislature, WVU Extension and other key partners — is a statewide training program that builds a competent, sustained workforce to provide quality care and education to West Virginia children.

The program consists of four semesters, each 15 weeks long and participants earn between 3,200 and 4,000 hours of work experience. Classes are offered in person and virtually throughout the state.

“Working in child care development is a hard job and often low staffed, so this program helps child care providers to feel more educated and confident doing their jobs,” said Andrea Hoover, WVU Extension Family and Community Development agent in Greenbrier County. 

Read more:

https://www.theintermountain.com/news/communities/2024/05/wvu-extension-helping-bridge-child-care-gap-in-w-va/

Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304.

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That’s all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.