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As a working parent, it’s easy to get frustrated by the lack of child care resources in my own community. But as a child care advocate, I know that the problem is far more complex — it’s not just my community or the neighboring town over, it’s all of our communities.
In fact, 60% of Montana counties are considered child care deserts right now, meaning that there are three times as many children as there are licensed child care slots. Three times! And that doesn’t just affect parents, it affects the growth of our entire state. Forty percent of Montana businesses say they are unable to recruit or retain a qualified workforce because of a lack of child care, with 70,000 parents reporting that they are not fully participating in the labor force due to this same overwhelming problem.
Whether you’re a business owner, parent, current child care provider, or long-time resident, a lack of child care isn’t just a family issue, it’s a community one. And it’s going to take all of us to find the solution.
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That’s why Zero to Five Montana’s Child Care Business Connect exists. Born out of a vision to stabilize early childhood systems while empowering local leaders and residents, Montana Child Care Business Connect (“Connect”) is Montana’s statewide hub for child care business development and innovation. Funded by a generous American Rescue Plan Act grant through the Montana Department of Health and Human Services and centered around a free online resource hub, Connect works to support the success of existing child care providers and inspire other entrepreneurs and employers to invest in and support child care systems in their communities. In other words, we’re a team of Montanans working to champion our state from within, exactly as it should be.
Uniting robust tools and resources, a team of experts, and dedicated partners, Connect is already making a lasting difference across Montana. From coming alongside organizations like Immanuel Lutheran which recently launched its own early learning center in Kalispell; to partnering with community leaders like Vaughn Zenko who helped ignite an entire wave of child care solutions in Fallon County, the Connect team is passionate about providing every interested individual and inspired leader with the resources they need to make a momentous impact on their local child care system. And it doesn’t just start and stop with Connect. We recognize that while the entire state may face similar child care challenges, the most powerful solutions can only be achieved through one avenue — collaboration. That’s why we’re proud to spearhead a Community Capacity Cohort to bring together diverse groups of community members to evaluate, enhance, and establish new and innovative child care solutions in their own neighborhoods. Because we know that better child care systems mean thriving communities; and that matters for everyone.
Could you be next? Whether you’re looking to start your own child care business or come alongside another in support, we all have an important part to play. And Montana Child Care Business Connect is here to help! To get started and learn more about the tremendous impact you can have in your community, visit childcarebusinessconnect.com.
Caitlin Jensen is the mom of a newborn baby boy and a 2-year-old son and executive director of Zero to Five Montana, a nonpartisan advocacy and policy organization dedicated to strengthening Montana’s early childhood system and programmatic efforts such as Montana Child Care Business Connect.
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