Childcare at a crisis

County commissioners heard a presentation March 13 on the issue from Sarah Romack of the Early Childhood Council and Betsy Dittenber of the county community foundation.

They told commissioners childcare challenges include a lack of space and qualified workers, high care costs for families and low wages for workers who are not viewed as trained professionals. The closure of the Schoolhouse in Poncha Springs earlier this year has added to the list of challenges.

Nationally, the 2020-22 pandemic is cited as a major contributor to the crisis, and it no doubt is. But the crisis has roots that go back decades from the breakdown of families to changes in society and economic issues.

More women are working today, as single parents as well as in two-parent households where families require two incomes to make ends meet.

Fewer stay-at-home parents mean more families require childcare, and fewer parents staying home to watch their and maybe one or two other kids.

Today’s families tend to live some distance away from their core families, with grandmas and grandpas visiting on Facebook but not available to help with babysitting, and much less day-to-day childcare.

An increase in government regulations has led to fewer individuals providing childcare while driving up costs by requiring specific ratios of caregivers to kids served, space stipulations, insurance minimums and a host of other requirements. 

Most recently, yes, the pandemic added to the crisis. In some instances, families kept their kids home, causing marginal care centers to close. This forced caregivers to find other jobs, now resulting  in fewer people to fill an increasing number of jobs in the industry.

According to an article in The Hill, from 2018 to 2022 the economic toll of the nation’s childcare crisis increased from $57 billion to $122 billion annually in terms of lost earnings, reduced productivity and revenue. The article cites statistics noting that the national average for childcare totals $10,600 per child per year.

In Colorado, legislation passed in 2020 will provide funding for universal preschool for 4-year-olds, for the year before kids are eligible for kindergarten, for up to 15 hours of classes for most kids and more hours available for families meeting income requirements.

Universal preschool will help, but it’s not the end-all answer to the crisis. So what’s the solution? Childcare advocates say state and federal governments must step up funding, which in turn translates to higher taxes. Others say private enterprise must help, with some businesses already providing childcare services.

The childcare crisis is a local as well as a national issue, a crisis that the nation is just starting to address.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Bob Christiansen on retirement from his post as county administrator.

Starting as human services director in 1993, Mr. Christiansen has served the county for 30 years, the past 16 as administrator.

He was a founder of the county Boys & Girls Clubs and has been deeply involved in children’s programs as DHS director and administrator, providing support for families and kids across various community entities including schools, law enforcement, mental health among others.

As administrator, he helped lead county efforts to re-purpose the former hospital to a city-county office complex, for improvements at the fairgrounds, with efforts underway for a Buena Vista public safety complex.

Thank you, Mr. Christiansen, for your service.

— MJB