It’s long since been a struggle in Leelanau County to find quality, affordable childcare, that’s available. It impacts the local economy and may even discourage young people from moving to the area.
The was formed years ago to help solve the crisis , locally, but also serve as a model for the nation.
LECDC applied for and was awarded $318,000 to bring more childcare options to the county. The grant is from the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) to develop a model for assisting five Leelanau County residents that want to establish childcare businesses.
“You have lots of folks coming to this area, which is a great thing, but when you look at the capacity and look at child care, you’re seeing more slots unavailable than available,” says Heidi Kruse, Board Member LECDC. “If we are to maintain economic viability and have those families stay here, we have to be able to come together as a community to solve this problem.”
Amanda Yin experienced the need for childcare herself, after having her daughter several years ago, she decided to work in freelance as a graphic designer while also caring for her daughter who had sensory processing issues.
“I got very interested in early child development, in how the brain develops at that age, to try to figure out what was going on. And then it became a passion,” says Yin.
Yin is now one of several people enrolled in the Infant and Toddler Childcare Startup. She’s been receiving mentoring for the licensing and application process to start her own childcare business.
“This program helps potential providers with their all of their start up costs,” says Patricia Soutas-Little, LECDC Board Chair and Managing Director. “It also provides coaches to help them through the process, coaches to help with the permitting process.
“Through the grant, we have the opportunity to help families find that support, and hopefully on the economic side, get those families back to work for those folks who are out of work because their home tending their kids.”
It’s a collaborative effort led by the Leelanau Early Childhood Development Commission, with partners Leelanau Children’s Center and the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation. They are actively working on a county-based model that supports culturally and economically diverse eligible adults to successfully start and operate profitable, child care businesses, which provide infant and toddler care for working families.
Yin’s business may not be based in her home, South of Bingham, but she will be looking to provide infant and toddler childcare and “for as many hours as possible.”
“There’s a lot of people from different backgrounds, and there’s such a rich history in this area,” says Yin. “Because that’s the case, we want to make sure that people, whatever their shift schedule is; whether it’s a hospital shift, whether they work in the schools, whether they need to be out nights or something like that, we want to provide childcare for them because that’s the basis for them to be able to thrive as families.”
The program seeks to provide childcare opportunities in Northport, Sutton’s Bay, Maple City and Elmwood which are areas the LECDC has identified as having the most need.
“If you locate centers so that it hits some of these parameters, then you’re likely going to have success in being able to be more convenient for people then than what we generally have,” says Soutas-Little.
The grant supports five people who are hoping to open a business. Six people initially applied, but only five moved forward due to the requirement they had to live in Leelanau County.
The sustainability of the program will require support from the community.
“Until we have a sustained source of funding, whether that is the school system or whatever it is, this is always going to be a problem because it is a profession without a natural, sustained source of funding to support it at the level it needs to be supported,” says Soutas-Little.
To be able to support the growth of the area and its economy, affordable and quality childcare is a necessity, according to Yin.
“For our society to even run properly it should be based around childcare. It should be based around flexibility for families that work and for the children to be able to get the best care possible since it is such an impact, full- time, in their life,” says Yin “That should be available to people from all different backgrounds, from all different socioeconomic statuses, every child should have a great place to go.”
In the meantime, Yin will continue working on her licensing and obtaining a place for her business. She’ll also be working on her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education this summer, along with an internship at Early Childcare Center at the Children’s House in Traverse City.
She hopes to open her business in the fall, with many of her fellow enrollees possibly opening the end of 2022.
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