Special Report: Child Care Desert: How COCC and NeighborImpact are working together to create more needed slots
(Update: Adding video)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Finding child care is a struggle for many parents across Central Oregon. NeighborImpact is trying to alleviate the crisis by creating over 1,000 new child care spots.
NeighborImpact and Central Oregon Community College are working together to create hundreds of new child care spots.
“So 1,400 infants, toddlers and preschool slots, which will make quite a dent for the region.” said Hannah Kuehl, NeighborImpact's child care resources manager.
The organization received an $8.2 million grant from the state back in 2022. With the funds, they've already created 944 new spots by expanding current child care centers and opening new ones.
The nonprofit says there has been some challenges.
“We’ve done a good job at getting more preschool slots up and running. Infants and toddlers are so much harder. They are about 2 1/2 times the amount a preschool takes.” Kuehl said.
Kuehl says it takes one teacher for every 10 preschool children, but one teacher for every four infants.
"It's just a much more costly model - just more staff, too." she said.
NeighborImpact has been working with Central Oregon Community College to find more providers through their Early Childcare Business Accelerator program.
Program Manager Kathryn Brown said, "It's three months long, for home-based providers, where they learn, you know, the process of licensing, what is required for running a state(-licensed) child-care facility in their home."
The ECB program is being funded through NeighborImpact's grant. Those who graduate can get certified to become family home-based providers.
'Studies have shown that most small businesses only last three to five years, or they don't have a very long lifespan. But that increases when they have coaching and support," Brown added.
The program has graduated a total of 70 people, with 53 of them becoming licensed providers. Some continue to work in the field license-exempt.
Programs work throughout the region from Madras down to La Pine. Both COCC and NeighborImpact say the best resource to find local child care options is Find Child Care Central Oregon.
