by John Dowd
The Bitterroot Early Learning Network (BELN) is gearing up to host an event tailored to give participants insight on the unique problems the childcare sector is facing. The Early Insights: Screening and Symposium is meant to be an informative and provocative look at the life of early childhood educators and caretakers. The event’s main feature will be the screening of a documentary called “No Small Matter.”
The film follows an early childhood teacher, and her struggles with low pay and under-appreciation. Eventually, she leaves, goes to school again in order to find a job that does pay better. According to Ariella Wells, executive director of the Bitterroot Early Learning Network, the film “hits all the markers we are seeing,” regarding childcare providers and their challenges.
Wells explained that, in her position with BELN, she has seen a dramatic drop in early childcare provider numbers. These numbers have “tremendously decreased since the summit,” which BELN held in 2023.
According to Wells, it can be a demanding job and “something people can easily get burnt out on.” Wells said part of the problem comes from the Bitterroot being a high growth area, without having the proper infrastructure, but the problem is also nationwide in scope. According to Wells, there are more issues that build up to the problem nationally, including the education many providers get.
Regarding this last point, Wells explained that these providers went to school to shape children, not necessarily to run a business. However, that is only a small piece of the problem. These kinds of businesses have huge overhead costs and they generally do not charge enough for what they do, even though what they charge often looks very expensive. This means even with those “low” prices, many families in areas like the Bitterroot cannot afford to send their children there.
Wells touched on the fact that there are no monetary state incentives to help keep these businesses operating, and things the legislature has recently been doing under the guise of improving the situation are actually making it worse.
“Montana’s early care and education system faces significant challenges due to limited state-initiated investments,” said Wells. “The primary state-funded contributions are matching dollars for federal initiatives, such as the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). This limited funding results in only 9% of eligible children under five receiving CCDBG assistance, leaving many families without support.”
Consequently, families often encounter high child care costs, with center-based infant care averaging $11,700 annually. This financial burden can consume up to 34.7% of a single parent’s income, making quality child care unaffordable for many.
To address these issues, the Montana Association for the Education of Young Children (MAC) is advocating for legislative measures aimed at improving affordability for families and enhancing compensation for ECE workers. The proposed bills include:
HB 2106: Expanding Best Beginnings Scholarship eligibility to the maximum federally allowable level, thereby increasing access to child care assistance for more families.
HB 1787: Providing categorical eligibility for Best Beginnings to workers in child care facilities, including owners and directors, ensuring that those who care for children can also afford quality care for their own families.
Establishing a program to provide funding to child care facilities to improve wages and benefits, addressing the low compensation that challenges the recruitment and retention of qualified ECE professionals.
“These legislative efforts aim to create a more equitable and sustainable child care system in Montana, benefiting children, families, and the broader community,” said Wells.
On top of that, insurance nationwide now avoids covering early childcare providers and “anything related to child care,” out of fear. Wells further explained, “Montana’s child care providers face growing challenges with liability insurance, as premiums have risen sharply, nearly doubling from an average of $1,397 in 2019 to $2,335 in 2022. In addition, 41% of surveyed providers reported being dropped by their insurance carriers since 2019, often because these carriers no longer cover child care facilities in the state. To address this issue, the Economic Affairs Interim Committee has proposed policy options such as exploring a captive insurance model, which would require child care providers to form an association to negotiate better terms collectively. Another approach under discussion is the establishment of a state-administered reinsurance pool, which could help mitigate costs and provide stability. Both options underscore the urgent need for systemic solutions to support Montana’s child care providers in maintaining affordable and reliable coverage, ultimately benefiting families and the workforce.”
According to Wells, their upcoming event is meant to speak directly to the investment of time, which affects early development and how that can change a child’s life significantly for the long term. This trickles down to careers, life choices and can even spread to siblings.
The film screening will be followed by a panel of experts in various fields, including childcare, local and state government, as well as medical professionals. Throughout the event, attendees can fill out question slips which will then be given to the panel to address.
“We really want it to be solutions based, talking about what’s happening at the state and local levels,” said Wells.
For Wells, and others in the field, their hope is to create solutions that are more “proactive instead of reactive.” They have seen that for every dollar spent on childcare infrastructure, around $16 is saved down the line in other areas of the economy.
Interested parties can register ahead of the event, by January 10. The event is $15 for participants, and free to childcare providers. There will be raffles and a hot meal. The movie starts at noon.
For childcare providers, one of the biggest hurdles is the fact that their profession is “not paired with the respect that it should have.” Wells said they are often looked at as glorified babysitters, when in fact, “they are shaping children’s lives.”
BELN hopes to change these attitudes and assist some change in making a difference in these providers’ lives, and the lives of future generations.
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