We have a reputation here in Rock County of working together to solve complicated problems.
This collaborative spirit — especially among local leaders and private enterprise — has put us on the map numerous times for many reasons.
Thirty years ago, for example, Rock County emerged as a leader in the state when our planning and zoning commission adopted its own feedlot ordinance.
It was 1995, and conditions were ripe for conflict among neighbors when livestock operations were expanding and neighbors were finding themselves downwind of manure storage.
Ultimately with solid, patient leadership and plenty of input from residents and farmers, an ordinance was approved that protected both the environment and ag business.
It became a template for numerous other counties subsequently wrestling with similar livestock development.
That wasn’t the first time our progressive leadership put us on the map, and it wouldn’t be the last.
It’s not that we don’t see conflict in the streets of “Mayberry,” but we historically work together for the broader good.
The process of addressing our rural child care was no different.
Rock County and every other rural county in the Midwest, has struggled for years under the strain on young families, employers and ultimately community economic health.
Our local leaders could have thrown up their hands and declared the problem was out of their hands.
But they didn’t give up, and now the eyes of the state are again turning to Rock County and Luverne to “see how it’s done.”
On Wednesday we’ll celebrate the result of many years of hard work and determined collaboration among community members — public, private, elected and others — to find a child care solution.
It hasn’t come without a cost; it will require significant public investment.
That was the point of all the studies showing child care centers can’t cash flow on the wages of working rural parents.
But the studies also show a return on that taxpayer investment as child care affects employers, jobs, housing, tax base, school enrollment, population growth, quality of life and the overall health of our community.
The journey doesn’t end here, and the Star Herald will continue following the local impact of the child care center — both its costs and its benefits.
But for now, let’s celebrate the Kids Rock! Child Care Center at the open house on Wednesday, May 28. The ribbon-cutting is 5:30 p.m., and tours continue through 7:30.
Be sure to read the eight-page special section about Kids Rock! in this edition of the Star Herald.
