By: Grace Grinager, Public Health Supervisor, and Nancie Deming, Licensing Case Manager / Community Childcare Coordinator

When parents and other primary caregivers can access affordable, high-quality childcare that fits their needs, it positively affects both the development of their child(ren) and their ability to participate in the workforce and economically support their family. Early childhood (0-5) is a unique period of foundational, rapid brain development; the impact of experiences in a person’s life during this period continues throughout the lifespan. 

A 2022 Supply and Demand Gap Analysis by First Children’s Finance showed that there is an unmet need for at least 114 childcare slots to meet the demand of families with children 0-5 in Cook County and Grand Portage. Parents often have a challenging time finding and affording childcare, particularly for infants. Often families who cannot locate childcare will adjust work schedules with their partner or rely informally on friends or family to assist with care. This same study showed that 44% of employers in the area have struggled to attract employees for open positions due to a lack of childcare, and 33% of employers have struggled to retain employees for this same reason. 82% of families report that the availability and cost of childcare influence how adult family members participate in the workforce. 46% of families indicate that the availability of childcare impacts their family planning decisions. 

Challenges with the affordability and accessibility of childcare are complex. Even if a family can find a childcare slot for their child(ren), additional challenges remain, both for families and providers. 

These can include: 

• High cost of care for families relative to household income. In April 2024, Childcare Aware Minnesota estimated the average cost of care throughout the state to be approximately $1,075/month or $12,903/year per child​(Childcare Aware, 2024)​. 
• Income-based financial assistance programs for childcare that do not always cover the full cost of care and/or exclude families whose incomes are too high to qualify, but for whom the cost of care remains a financial barrier.
• Parents not able to pay enough for childcare to be able to adequately compensate providers (this also includes time off and benefits). 
• Programs are not able to charge enough to maintain staff or be financially stable. 
• Childcare has a small profit margin, and it is an expensive business to start and a complex business to run​ (First Children's Finance, 2022). 
• The need for ongoing training and support for childcare providers to reduce job stress and improve retention within the field. 

In 2023, Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) along with the Cook County Economic Development Authority (EDA) launched a series of efforts to strengthen local childcare systems by implementing a range of supports for new and existing childcare providers. Together the two agencies successfully applied for and received $180,000 from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to support these initiatives. 

The 2023 DEED grant included funding to: 

• Create a community-wide communications and recruitment campaign to encourage people to join the local childcare workforce. This includes hiring bonuses for new childcare workers. 
• Support childcare providers to receive continuing education by covering the time and cost of completing their Child Development Associate credential.  
• Create a temporary subsidized slot program for start-up or expanding childcare businesses to help reduce initial financial risk. 
• Encourage all local childcare providers to attend monthly childcare provider mentorship meetings, cofacilitated by ISD 166 and PHHS, by providing participation stipends. 
• Pilot the creation of a shared childcare substitute provider pool, available to all local licensed providers, to reduce childcare program closures due to staff absences. 
  
  

PHHS applied again in 2024 and was awarded an additional $250,000 in funding from DEED to continue and expand childcare economic development initiatives in Cook County and Grand Portage through June 2025.

These grants complement a locally funded wage enhancement program for licensed childcare providers to increase hourly pay by $5.79/hour so that local pay more closely matches the DEED proposed average hourly wage for early childhood educators ($21.09/hour). This program began in January 2023 and was renewed for the 2024 budget year by the Cook County Board of Commissioners with a small cost of living increase for providers ($5.96/hour). The DEED grant also complements grant funds from First Children’s Finance ($30,000) and the Northland Foundation ($25,000) to support childcare workforce development and mentorship. In addition, Cook County is participating in a Mixed Delivery Action Lab project through the State Departments of Education, Health, and Human Services that provides $6,000 in financial support to increase collaboration and workforce development among early childhood organizations.

Community outreach and engagement with the various childcare initiatives underway is crucial. PHHS has formed a subcommittee of its Advisory Council, named “Childcare Solutions” to meet regularly to help keep members of the public informed, and explore avenues for ongoing support of childcare providers as well as families with young children in care. This hybrid group meets every other month on the second Wednesday from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to participate. If community members are interested in starting a childcare business or joining the childcare workforce through one of our locally established programs, they can reach out to Nancie at (218) 387-5392 or visit https://cookcountynorthstars.com/.  

Learn more about Cook County’s efforts to support the local childcare system in our presentation at the July 16 Committee of the Whole meeting, a recording is available to view on the Cook County website at www.co.cook.mn.us.

You can learn more about the work of the PHHS department at our PHHS Board Meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the Cook County Commissioners Room in the Cook County Courthouse on the third Tuesday of each month. The meeting is open to the public and available to live stream or view a recording. Visit our website at www.cookcountyphhs.org, contact us via email at PHHS@co.cook.mn.us or find us on Facebook @CookCountyPHHS or Instagram @cook_county_phhs to learn more about our work in supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of Cook County residents.

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.