BEMIDJI — Across the state, dozens of communities hosted "A Day Without Childcare" events to highlight the challenges of the child care industry on Monday, March 3.
Parents, providers and business leaders shared stories that highlighted the challenges of child care in rural areas like Bemidji during the event organized by the Kids Count on Us coalition.
Bemidji Brewing Co.’s Tina Kaney spoke on the challenges of balancing her business as well as her young family.
"If we are a society that values locally grown businesses and flourishing main streets, we need to make sure aspiring business leaders have the opportunities they need to get going and continue running," Kaney said. "Child care is certainly a foundational piece of that goal.”
While many communities participating in “A Day Without Childcare” saw providers closing their doors for the day, Bemidji’s in-home child care providers, like Taumi Wilson, said voluntarily closing for even a day is not feasible.
"Unfortunately, we were not able to close because our parents need care and I need to be paid," Wilson said.
Bemidji’s child care shortage isn’t in a lack of available places but a shortage in available infant slots, according to providers.
Pine Pals Intergenerational Child Care Director Lydia Pietruszewski said the Bemidji area has an estimated need of about 1,500 more slots for children ages 2 and younger.
"I think it is really important to keep that in mind," Petruszewski said. "The biggest shortage is for those children under 2 years old, and that is the most expensive care to provide, also."
Sanford Bemidji, partnering with Pine Pals, recently opened a new Pine Pals Nest, an infant-focused child care currently only open to Sanford’s employees.
Sanford Bemidji's chief human resource officer Megan Steigauf said for the region’s largest employer, child care is essential for maintaining a reliable workforce.
"Health care is a 24/7 industry with very long and irregular 24/7 hours," Steigauf said. "Any impact to staffing on a daily basis impacts direct patient care at the bedside, lack of access, longer wait times [and] canceled appointments."
Child care providers and parents spoke on behalf of reforming some regulations, such as loosening capacity limits for infant care.
Pietruszewski also highlighted the Great Start Affordability Scholarships program, first introduced last session, that would cap the costs of child care to 7% of the parent’s income.
A bill introduced in the Minnesota House last week aims to address some of the current regulatory standards of child care centers. The Republican-sponsored bill looks at changing qualifications needed to work or volunteer in a licensed child care center, as well as modifying center staffing patterns and amending specified rules governing child care centers.
