FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION — Families are struggling to find childcare on the Flathead Indian Reservation, leaving some to make the decision to leave the workforce in order to care for their children.
“Out of the approximately 30 that I deal with on a daily basis as of right now, none of them have openings," Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Childcare Block Grant Program Manager Josee Drennan-Beck said.
Drennan-Beck works with families to find help on the Reservation and she says childcare facilities are at capacity, with some waiting lists two years out.
“We have a lack of childcare facilities from Mission towards Missoula and then from Polson towards Elmo way," she says. "And when we're serving those families, it makes it really hard for those families that live in those areas.”
This is known as a childcare desert, which means there are no childcare facilities within a 20-mile radius in some areas.
Just Because We Care owner Amy Kimler says the industry has changed in the last couple of years, "We have a really hard time retaining staff, that has been our biggest challenge."
She says this makes it hard for her center to meet the state ratio of required staff to children and she remains busy.
“We have been consistently full," Kimler told MTN. "We have helped families that have looked for daycare and, and have said if I don't find daycare, I'm not gonna be able to go to work.”
While staffing is an issue childcare costs are also rising and tribal assistant programs can’t meet the demand.
“Our funding is very, very minute, and it's not as big as the state's funding. And we try to match the state's childcare rates and they just raise their rates, which makes it even harder for us, “ Drennan-Beck says.
Tayla Desjarlais says her family chose to live on one income so her partner could stay home with their son while she is at work.
“He probably prefers not to be a stay-at-home dad, but it is what works for us now and what’s needed.”
Her family lives in Arlee, where there is no year-long childcare center and many families struggle during the summer.
“Some of my friends and I have got, came together and, you know, helped watch each other's kids,”
Desjarlais says the stress of childcare impacts her life, “You almost feel like unreliable with at, at work and at home. and it puts, you know, a strain on being able to, to provide."
Drennan-Beck says the childcare block program does the best they can to accommodate families and there are options like the CRO program which pays family members to watch children.
“So don't give up hope because it's possible to find it," Drennan-Beck says. "And I know the experience of having to pay for childcare out of pocket. And it's really, it's hard because I was one of those parents and that's why I do care about my job so much. And I try every aspect and I try so hard to help every family that I can. ”
