Child Care Crisis | Video

Sarahbeth Ackerman | 1/3/2013

While North Dakota is a booming state, we tend to forget that some businesses are actually being hurt by the fast-growing economy. As you drive down Broadway, you can see the "Now Hiring" signs, but fast food restaurants are not the only ones suffering. Daycare centers are also in need of help.

"We`re competing with everybody in town, if they’re starting at 13, 14, 15 dollars an hour and we`re starting at nine, you can see why we`re not getting staff," said Sherry Wagner, Center Director for Child Care.

The Good Shepherd Child Care Center has 35 employees and are short four. The center director says that for every employee they`re down, it’s about seven children they can`t care for.

The largest problem for parent Denise Lindbo faces is the constant shuffle of employees watching over the kids. "And it makes a difference if the same person that`s taking care of them all the time or if they have people that are shuffling in and out. They get nervous and don`t feel confident with the people that are taking care of them if it’s a different person every few months. So, to me, it`s important for stability for my child when he`s at daycare."

A stable and balanced daycare center is all Lindbo wants for her five year old son. She was able to land a spot for her child, but some parents were not as lucky.

"Every day I get calls of people wanting to bring their children to our daycare, but we can`t take them. They get put on a waiting list and the waiting list is two to three years out. Most centers now are not even doing a waiting list because you have no hope to bring them in," said Wagner.

Until the legislature deals with this child care crisis, the waiting list will keep growing and daycare centers will be down employees.

Parents and lawmakers met earlier tonight at a public meeting at ABC child care center in Minot. They hope to come up with a solution to the child care problem.

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