SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Michelle Erpenbach, president of Sioux Falls Thrive, says there needs to be a fundamental shift in the way the community thinks about child care professionals.
“Not enough people believe this is an industry and a profession that we as a society support,” Erpenbach said. “Early in one of these conversations, an older gentleman said to me, ‘I understand that.’ We were leaving our kids with a babysitter every day.” These people are not babysitters. These people are professional educators. ”
The Sioux Falls City Council’s Regulatory Oversight Committee held a public hearing Tuesday afternoon on the urgency of the issue surrounding child care accessibility. The cost of higher education has long been a concern for families, but early education can be even more expensive.
“Child care providers now have to charge more than the cost of a four-year degree in South Dakota,” Erpenbach said. “That’s the burden we’re putting on young families with new careers.”
The Sioux Falls Helpline Center operates a childcare database, but it’s not perfect.
“What doesn’t work is that it’s not easy to update your provider,” said Betsy Schuster, vice president of program development for the Helpline Center. “So it’s very difficult to know what the current vacancy or capacity rates are.”
Councilors learned about the Helpline Center’s updated plans for a childcare app for parents. However, funding has not been secured and the goal is to have it available in July.
“The goal of this app is to create more frequent provider profile updates,” Schuster said.
The Oversight Committee will hold additional meetings in January to consider potential action items that the City Council may enact. Eric Meyer of Keloland also reported on Tuesday’s meeting.click here for his report.