Video

You don't often think of childcare providers or elementary school officials as the kinds of people who are called out during a crisis. That's usually reserved for police, firefighters and the Red Cross. But the childcare and school officials on a ten-member task force are charged with finding some solutions to a local childcare shortage that's been deemed a crisis! Mayor Curt Zimbelman assembled a 10-member panel including city council members, school administrators, parents and Daycare providers. The group met today for the first time at city hall to get acquainted and begin looking into the problem. Chairman John MacMartin opened the discussion by asking members for short and long-term goals. Suggestions included considering easing some of the current zoning restrictions to allow more children in certain settings, and seeing if local businesses and agencies would be willing to join together in subsidizing daycare. MacMartin believes the group will be able to come up with some creative solutions... (John MacMartin - Chair, Childcare Task Force) But you know, if you look back in Minot's past, there have been a number of other larger child care centers that have closed in the past. And Minot has weathered those and come through those. So I think with some thoughtful discussion and everybody...instead of folks thinking someone else has got a solution so people collaboratively come together, I think we'll find a solution. The shortage of childcare became even more apparent a couple of weeks ago when ING announced the closure of it's on-site day care June 27th. Some of the task force members plan to ask ING to allow the daycare to continue operating for at least two more months while they scramble to find another solution. The task force will meet again on May 28th.