In case you haven’t heard, the state of child care in Idaho is in a precarious state. If you’re a working parent of a young child, there’s a good chance you’ve struggled to find affordable, reliable child care. If you’re a child care provider, it’s likely you struggle to hire and retain the staff to operate at a capacity that keeps your business solvent. We simply don’t have enough child care openings to accommodate every family who needs care. This affects workforce participation — placing financial strain on working parents — and limiting the pool of candidates.
The worst part is that child care access in Idaho is going to get much worse, before it gets better.
At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, the state of Idaho moved quickly to use federal relief grants to support our child care industry. At a time when many programs had to close temporarily or operate at a limited basis to adhere to health and safety protocols, these funds were a lifeline that enabled many child care providers to stay open. While many of the effects of the pandemic have waned and life has returned to normal for many, the challenges for the child care industry have only compounded. Once these funds expire at the end of June 2023, we expect many providers will be forced to close their doors.
Recent surveys of both child care employees and owners found concerning results: 75% of child care facilities are receiving support from facilities and/or wage enhancement grants, and 57% said when this...
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