COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — There is a pressing need for more childcare in southwest Iowa. Several communities, many with help from the Lakin Foundation, are in the middle of building child development centers. On Friday, early childcare leaders gathered in Council Bluffs to tour child development centers and learn from each other.
- "One of the main things that we were talking about was staffing," said Dianna Williams, the child care director at the Ann Wickman Child Development Center in Atlantic.
Another strategy for keeping childcare professionals: help them advance their educations and careers.
"It's definitely one of our program goals is building that career pathway because it is a struggle, you know," said Danni Segebart, the director of Head Start for West Central.
- At the Florence M. Lakin center, Director Jess McGee told me she's fortunate that she can pay her staff a competitive wage, offer benefits and paid time off.
- Iowa Child Care Resource and Referral: iowaccrr.org
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
There are child development centers throughout Southwest Iowa under construction because of an urgent need.
I'm neighborhood reporter, Katrina Markel in Council Bluffs.
I'm here because local childcare leaders got a tour of existing programs.
"One of the main things that we were talking about was staffing," said Dianna Williams.
She is the child care director at the Ann Wickman Child Development Center in Atlantic. And, after receiving funding from the Lakin Foundation and other groups, her center will have a brand-new facility in approximately a year and a half.
When I visited her center in November, they were at capacity.
"We have a waiting list. A long waiting list,” said Williams “And we're not able to accommodate all of those families to keep them in our community."
And when you have the kids, you need qualified staff.
"We've always talked in our business, in our community, that you can train skills, but you can't train empathy and caring and love," Williams said.
Danni Segebart is the Head Start director for West Central. She oversees the 60-year-old federal program in southwest Iowa. She partners with the early childhood program at Iowa Western to find credentialed staff.
"I give then feedback on what our needs are as career placement options and they send students to come do practicum," she said.
Another strategy for keeping childcare professionals: help them advance their educations and careers.
"It's definitely one of our program goals is building that career pathway because it is a struggle, you know," Segebart said.
At the Florence M. Lakin center, Director Jess McGee told me she's fortunate that she can pay her staff a competitive wage, offer benefits and paid time off.
"I encourage my staff to plan time off because providing care for others is very taxing," McGee said.
Several mentioned the early childhood training programs at local high schools.
"...because if we don't have childcare a lot of people can't work," said McGee.
