By Lori Ehde
If anyone’s interested in starting a home-based day care operation in Rock County, there’s never been a better time.
According to Carol Wulf, who licenses home child care operations at Family Services, the demand for quality child care in Rock County has hit an all-time high.
Of 49 licensed Family Child Care providers in Rock County, only 19 have current vacancies. Of those, only eight slots are available for infants (children under 12 months) and toddlers (children 12 to 24 months).
While there are some vacancies, many of the well-established child care homes have long waiting lists.
To address the dilemma, Southwest Child Care Resource and Referral, in conjunction with Rock County Human Services, will host a meeting from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 29, in the Rock County Human Services Building, 2 Roundwind Drive, Luverne.
Wulf said she hopes the meeting will be a catalyst for some local residents who have been thinking about starting a child care business.
She said a big hurdle for many would-be day care providers is having a home that meets code for space, exits and fire guidelines.
In addition, she said, not everyone is suited for the demands of caring for multiple children.
"It’s their job, their business. They’re required to have training in CPR and SIDS," Wulf said.
"They’re running accounting programs and figuring out state food reimbursements. It’s a lot to keep track
of and it’s all done after day care hours, so it’s quite a commitment. You have to enjoy it to make it work."
She advises new child care providers to start out small — with maybe one family in addition to their own children. Wulf said adjusting to a day care business is an adjustment for the provider’s entire family, and it’s best to test the waters slowly.
Anyone interested in becoming child-care providers are encouraged to attend and meet with Wulf, referral staff and with licensed family child-care providers on March 29.
"This is an opportunity for anyone interested in caring for children to talk with others in the profession and learn what resources are available to them to start in this rewarding career field," said Cindy Collins of Child Care Resource and Referral.
Wulf can be reached at 283-5070, and Collins can be reached at (507)637-8599.
