Alexa Ducioame, Fargo

It’s no secret, ND has faced a childcare crisis for a long time. I share my story as a snapshot into what families are facing and to implore the ND legislature to act now. My daughter (2.5) has been on a waitlist for our preferred center for 3 years. My son (1) was able to get in at 6 months, but there’s still 700 people waiting. Their first Center had 25 days where we unexpectedly had to stay home due to weather or staffing in February through April 2022. I’m an engineer and my husband is in IT, and we did our best to work from home, but it was not sustainable.

Part of the time the center was closed was because they lost their license, but then they reapplied under a different name and reopened. Shortly after, a Fargo Detective and Human Services called informing us they were investigating abuse at the center. An incident occurred and after reviewing the tapes the detective also named my daughter a victim. The center did not report the incident that required medical care, nor have any communication with parents. We were finally able to arrange care at a different center months later that cost 50% more. That day, we received a call from the new center that they were awaiting fingerprints and pushed back enrollment. My husband stayed at home to take care of her another month.

The portion of our story regarding staffing-related closures and the struggle to find childcare is not uncommon. I have coworkers who also navigated unexpected closures at different centers. Some parents are leaving the workforce because it’s easier than finding reliable childcare.

The childcare stabilization program proposed in SB2301 could be used to increase staff wages, improve recruitment and retention without passing costs onto families. However, it requires a deeper investment, experts say $150 million. From my personal experiences, I also greatly appreciate the considerations for provider quality. If the childcare workforce grew, it would support parents who want to join the workforce in other fields as well.