In 2022, the Central Montana Childcare Alliance (CMCA) officially formed to fulfill its mission to partner with childcare providers, families, and stakeholders to improve the quality of programming and expand the availability of childcare options in Central Montana (Fergus, Judith Basin, and Petroleum Counties). Since then, a concerted effort has taken place to delve deeper into issues that have plagued the childcare industry for decades, not only in our local area but across the nation. Led by a group of concerned business leaders, we believe that by coming together as a community and focusing on key initiatives, as identified by a local case study, we could effectively help improve the overall childcare situation and eliminate “childcare deserts” in our area.

We are thrilled to report that we have been quite successful in achieving our goals and objectives with the following milestones accomplished to date:

• Helped create 200+ new childcare slots and 15 new childcare programs;
• Offered free technical assistance to help childcare businesses grow and thrive;
• Trained hundreds of childcare workers;
• Provided/paid for individuals to obtain specialized certificates and college courses;
• Awarded $140,000+ in pass-through grant funding to strengthen childcares;
• Recruited 9 childcares to join the State’s quality ranking program;
• Assisted childcares with improved marketing;
• Helped childcares offer employee benefits;
• Initiated innovative partnerships with the community;
• Advocated for the childcare industry,
• And much more! 

We often get asked, “How did you do this and can it be replicated?” The answer is – YES, it absolutely can be replicated, and here are some key takeaways from our work:

CHILDCARE IS A BUSINESS AFFAIR – Traditionally, childcare was considered a “parent-only” problem. However, businesses and economists have really started to take notice at how the childcare industry affects the local workforce and economy. According to ‘Child Care Deserts - An Analysis of Child Care Supply and Demand Gaps in Montana’ (authored by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, January 2024), “The lack of affordable, high-quality child care in Montana has prevented many parents from fully participating in the labor force, thus further exacerbating the state’s workforce shortage. In 2023, an estimated 66,000 Montana parents were unable to fully engage in the workforce due to family responsibilities and a lack of childcare.” When the business community, local government, and other partners work with parents to address childcare needs, results will be more plentiful and meaningful. CMCA has been working to change the local narrative to help everyone realize that childcare is essential community infrastructure and it is a key component in ensuring that our community and economy can grow and thrive.

BE INNOVATIVE IN YOUR APPROACH – Every community is different and their childcare needs are unique. The biggest hurdle we have had in Central Montana is finding suitable locations for childcares that are safe, affordable, and sustainable. This has led our organization to work with local city officials to update zoning regulations to allow childcares in commercial areas, creating a unique partnership with churches and schools to house childcares, and working with developers to include childcare facilities in planned commercial developments. It is not always a fast process, but once the community is aware of the barriers to creating more childcare options, we have found that everyone is very supportive of working together to find solutions.

CREATE PARTNERSHIPS – In our service area, other than in-home childcares, all childcares in our small rural/frontier towns are housed in either churches or schools. Historically we know that there will be a natural ebb and flow for the need for childcare in very small communities. To help sustain childcares through lean years when there is a dip in birth rates, creating a partnership with a local entity that can help supplement rent, utilities, supplies, food costs, personnel, etc. helps ensure the long-term sustainability of childcare businesses. Plus, it is very beneficial to small school districts to attract and retain teachers by offering on-site childcare. Creating a family-friendly environment is the key to sustaining rural schools and communities and having local childcare options help attract a younger demographic.

FOCUS ON THE WORKFORCE BEHIND THE WORKFORCE - The impact and involvement of women cannot be overlooked when it comes to the field of early childhood education. Women are disproportionately responsible for the care of young children and without access to childcare, they face many challenges, including the opportunity to participate in and progress in the workforce. Additionally, women disproportionately make up the childcare workforce (approximately 96% in our area). All our efforts to advance the skillset of childcare workers through professional development opportunities, educational offerings, college course credit, business technical assistance, as well as improved benefits for workers, help to ensure that women learn new skills, earn more money, have the opportunity for advancement, and/or can thrive as small business owners. This is a win-win for all women and helps create a stronger childcare workforce!

While there is still much work to be done, in just two years we have eliminated childcare deserts in Central Montana, every rural/frontier town now has local childcare options in our 3-county area, and waitlists that were once 80+ children and years-long are now gone! We no longer get panicked phone calls from parents desperately searching for childcare and ultimately deciding not to take jobs and/or move to our area simply because of the lack of childcare.  We are positively changing the childcare industry in Central Montana and networking with a wealth of partners to help us in our efforts. It does take a village to raise a child and in Central Montana, we are proving what is possible when we prioritize children, women, and young families!