childcareJamestown (CSi)  The second childcare meeting is scheduled on Monday June 29, 2015, 12:07 pm to 1:30 pm at the Gladstone Inn & Suites when additional ideas will be discussed concerning childcare in Jamestown and Stutsman County.

On June 23rd, the first meeting was held withparents, school officials and organization leaders gathered for the first of two presentations, concerning childcare issue in the Jamestown area, hosted by District 12 Democratic State Representative Jessica Haak.

Verla Jung from ChildcareAware said that Stutsman County has a higher than average demand for childcare, with 90 percent of families in the area having both parents working full-time jobs, and pointed out that the communities could only meet 36 percent of the demand for childcare.

Rep. Haak added that Bill 1227 had been introduced to provide income tax credit to caretakers, but was voted down during legislation. She added that roughly $2.25 million in grants was available to the state to assist in building or expanding current childcare facilities in the state.

Executive Director of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Becky Thatcher-Keller stated that it may be an explorable option to have childcare established by a business.

 

Previously…

Jamestown (CSi) District 12 North Dakota Democratic, Representative, Jessica Haak will host forums to discuss the needs surrounding childcare in Jamestown and surrounding communities. The forums will be held from 12:07 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, and Monday, June 29, at the Gladstone Inn & Suites in Jamestown.

On Wednesday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, Representative Haak said, the events are open to the public and will have leaders from the childcare industry and the business community in attendance.

Those include, ChildCare Aware, the Jamestown Head Start program, and invited is Jamestown Public School Superintendent, Rob Lech.

She said the forums are also a way for concerned parents in the community to express their views.

Ms Haak said, “Childcare is a critical issue in Jamestown. It is important that we bring business leaders, parents, and providers together to discuss solutions to the needs throughout the community. In Jamestown, over 90 percent of households with two parents have both parents working. That’s higher than the state average. We need to collaborate to address this issue to anticipate the growth in Jamestown and surrounding communities in upcoming years.”

An opportunity will be provided to all who attend to comment on the childcare issue. Lunch will not be served, but attendees can order off the menu at their own expense.