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Jack Dalrymple on Families & Children |
First and foremost, we heard about the great need for more and better child care services throughout the state. This has become a challenge for young parents who would like to contribute more to our workforce. We are already supporting the training of child care providers, but the real challenge is expansion of child care capacity with more facilities. Most child care providers in North Dakota are home-based and have found commercial rental rates to be cost prohibitive. We have tested a cost-share program to provide permanent modular facilities capable of handling 18 children in a custom designed layout. It looks promising and led to our recommendation for a grant program that will help private child care providers get into expanded facilities with very little cost for space.