The Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission is applying for a state grant to help fund two child care projects. The County Board OK’d a $70,000 request toward the grant.
WILLMAR — It was a rush for the Kandiyohi County and city of Willmar Economic Development Commission to pull together a grant application due last week for up to $600,000 to go toward two unique child care projects in Kandiyohi County.
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In December of 2022, the number of additional child care slots needed in Kandiyohi County was 935. The Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar EDC launched the Child Care Economic Development Program, which is estimated to have created 263 additional child care slots.
By Jennifer Kotila
WILLMAR — With Kandiyohi County facing a child care crisis, lacking 935 child care slots, the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission in 2023 focused its efforts on alleviating
Walking into the backyard of child care provider Michelle Weiler is like walking into a children’s fairy tale. It is the magic of Alice in Wonderland, the secret hidden place of the Secret Garden and full of children having as much fun as if they were in Peter Pan’s Never Never Land. But this isn’t a story of how they care for the children they watch; it is the story of how they care for each other.
Sue Yoakum and Michelle Weiler have been running their child care businesses and helping
The need for high-quality, affordable child care in Kandiyohi County is an issue gaining a lot of attention. According to a potential need analysis from First Children’s Finance, there is a shortage of at least 776 child care slots across the county.
“Not having enough safe, affordable and accessible child care is a growing barrier to economic development in west central Minnesota, including right here in Kandiyohi County,” said Connie Schmoll, from the Kandiyohi County and
Family child care and child care centers are businesses with accounting measures and regulations to follow. They are essential for maintaining a workforce for our businesses and are instrumental in providing early education at an important stage of child development, beginning the preparation of our future workforce. Not having enough safe, affordable and accessible child care options is being identified as a growing barrier to economic development in west central Minnesota, including Kandiyohi County,
WILLMAR—Not having enough safe, affordable and accessible child care facilities is being tagged as a growing barrier to economic development in west central Minnesota, including Kandiyohi County where it’s estimated another 776 child care slots are currently needed.
Businesses that struggle to find workers because potential employees are unable to find child care—and child care providers who struggle to stay in business because of regulations and employee pay—are major components of a growing