‘Make efforts where we can’: Many factors play a role in the ongoing child care crisis – Albert Lea Tribune

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Preschool children in the children’s center paint a picture. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Saidy Stenseth, experienced helper at the children’s center, interacts with two toddlers in the children’s center’s Milky Way room. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Teachers Taysha Sternhagen and Morgan Sencer look after two small children. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Teacher Kaitlyn Hanson cares for a toddler in the Milky Way space. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

There is no easy answer to solving the child care crisis in Albert Lea and across the country.

But as the deficit continues, local governments, current providers and employers continue to assess what can be done locally to address the problem.

Phillip Johnson, executive director of the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency, estimates there is currently a gap of at least 200 child care spaces in the community, although it is questionable whether the numbers are actually higher, as some people may have chosen not to work and up look after their own children, otherwise they will only work part-time.

“It’s an area that’s broken on every level,” Johnson said of child care overall. Several factors play a role.

Johnson said space is not the main issue when it comes to child care, although that can have an impact on residential providers who would like to accommodate more children but are limited by the size of their homes.

One of the bigger concerns is the cost, not only in terms of providing a service that parents can afford, but also in terms of being able to pay childcare workers a living wage. In addition, there are possible changes to regulations at the state level that could particularly affect in-home providers.

Other questions include the number of providers needed in the classroom for each age of the child and whether a spot should be reserved for a child from one age to the next.

“This all plays a big role in affordability for the user and the center’s ability to generate the revenue it needs,” said Ian Rigg, Albert Lea City Manager.

The city manager said if the state turns around and imposes more regulations on residential providers, the changes won’t solve a problem or improve quality. Instead, they have the potential to reduce a provider’s affordability and drive more providers out of the industry. He said the answer does not lie in more regulations.

Johnson said ALEDA, the City of Albert Lea, Freeborn County, the Albert Lea School District, the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and others have put together a strategic plan and provided numbers on the issue. However, many permanent solutions involve a subsidy, which he said is not a viable option for the future.

“We’re trying to make efforts where we can,” he said. “Is it an easy problem for any level of our government to solve? No. But I do think that we have made some progress here locally, we just need to know where we can use taxpayer money most sensibly.”

The group has met regularly, especially since the Albert Lea School District announced in January that it would close its Tiger Cub Child Care Center and later reversed course, declaring that the center would still be open this school year and that the Headmasters would review the decision in the future.

It is unclear whether a solution has been presented for the future.

Rigg said he realizes they can’t solve the entire crisis and his overall goal with child care is to remove barriers and try to find common-sense solutions. They have heard from several employers about the importance of having such positions so that their employees can have a safe place for their children while at work.

ALEDA, in partnership with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, announced in April an expansion of its forgivable child care loan program, aimed at encouraging and supporting newly licensed child care providers in the county. Some providers have taken advantage of the opportunity.

Dani Clevenger, executive director of The Children’s Center, said as a nonprofit organization: The Children’s Center is trying to push the government to subsidize child care, similar to what it does with K-12 education. She said there is progress in preschool programs, but funding doesn’t come close to covering all costs.

The Children’s Center is currently operating only at its James Avenue location as it aims to meet all staffing needs there before considering reopening its location at St. John’s Lutheran Community.

The James Avenue location has seven classrooms and currently serves 115 children through fourth grade. There are 42 employees.

Clevenger said the children’s center implemented a salary increase for its employees last fall due to the increased cost of living, but they are aware that employee salaries are still below the cost of living. The challenge here is finding a balance between paying employees what they deserve, paying their other bills, and controlling the costs billed to parents.

“We’re trying to find that happy medium, but we now realize that the only way to solve this child care crisis is essentially the county, the city, the government, the state. They all need to help and realize that this is the right place “It all begins,” she said.

She noted that there are often subsidies available for daycare centers, but often they only pay for things like curriculum or toys that they don’t need at the moment.

The children’s center held a garage sale on Oct. 5 to raise some money from surplus toys it had collected over the years and other items that community members contributed, be it toys, household items or clothing.

“We’re looking forward to it, but also to helping the community,” she said before the sale.