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PNS - Thursday, February 6, 2025 - Nationwide protests erupt against federal policies, Indiana's EV infrastructure expansion stalls due to a funding freeze, and Washington state pushes for rent stabilization to combat rising housing costs.
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PNS - Thursday, February 6, 2025 - Trump signs executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports, directing DOJ to enforce; Educators voice concern for PA immigrant student protections; WA rent stabilization bills have huge public support; ME benefits from $2.2 billion in federal clean energy investments.
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By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - A lack of child care has been a problem for Montana’s workforce. Groups in Central and Western Montana are pioneering solutions to help, including converting unused classrooms to child care centers and developing local business memberships. Comments by Sally Henkel, coordinator, Missoula Child Care Advantage; and Jennifer Pfau [FOW], executive director, Central Montana Childcare Alliance.
Click on the image above for the audio. On average in Montana, full-time child care costs between $9,100 and $11,700 per year per child, according to Montana Advocates for Children. (Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
Child care is expensive and in high demand but groups in Montana are taking creative approaches to help.
Child care services in Montana currently meet about half the state's need, and full-time child care can cost more than college tuition, according to Montana Advocates for Children. Experts said solutions are unique to communities.
Jennifer Pfau, executive director of the Central Montana Childcare Alliance, helped launch the group in 2022, which offers startup grants and support for businesses, schools, churches and others to start child care centers. She said the pandemic made visible the "workforce behind the workforce."
"It's shifting the focus to helping people realize that child care is essential community infrastructure," Pfau explained. "And then working together to help address the needs in your community."
The group has helped open 15 new child care centers and expand capacity by nearly 200 slots with American Rescue Plan Act funding, which Pfau noted has since run out. She called finding more "challenging."
As school enrollment decreases, some empty classrooms are being remodeled for child care. That worked for Pfau and for the group Missoula Child Care Advantage, which also created a business membership, offering in-network child care for employees of local businesses and schools.
Sally Henkel, Missoula Child Care Advantage coordinator for the United Way of Missoula County, said fees go toward a "shared services model" to stabilize the child care sector by reducing administrative costs.
"Once that can be alleviated, the hope is that providers can really reinvest that time and energy into mentoring staff, maybe paying them a little bit better," Henkel outlined. "And also offer higher quality child care and have a little bit less burnout as well."
At the Montana Capitol, House Bill 360, scheduled for a hearing in the Human Services Committee this week, would establish a child care workforce recruitment and retention support payment program.
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PNS - Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - Trump moves towards dismantling the Department of Education. Observers call relocation of displaced Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan a non-starter. And Idaho lawmakers look to raise barriers to voter initiatives.
