In Missoula, Montana, there is a lack of affordable and accessible child care that is causing many families angst about their next steps. While this issue has already been at the forefront of some people’s minds, it has only gotten worse within the past couple of years.
Approximately 42% of child care homes have already been closed down . Along with this, each of these facilities were taking care of around six to twelve children, all between the ages of one to five. After the child care was shut down, the parents of these children had to figure out how to balance their work life with their family life as well.
The average price to enroll a child in an infant care facility is around 103% more than the average cost of rent back in 2020. Due to a lack of affordable resources, multiple parents are opting to stay home with their children instead of paying for child care.
On average, child care costs families about $591 a month per child, and if a two-parent household is making the median household income in Missoula, that’s around 17% of their monthly income. In 2023, the median household income was around $70,888 for Missoula County and approximately $65,329 for the city.
Nearly 70,000 parents that live in Montana are trying to find a position in the workforce due to a lack of affordable child care. In part of this, 40% of Montana businesses claim that they are unable to retain qualified employees because of the rising costs of child care.
In Missoula, the child care industry has been sustained by The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). It was enacted in early March of 2021 and provided essential payments of up to $1,400 for individuals or $2,800 for married couples filing jointly for the past three years. However, that funding is coming to an end, putting the future of the child care business in jeopardy. The obligation deadline had already ended on December 31, 2024, with the act including a final spending deadline on December 31, 2026.
The Best Beginnings Scholarship is a state-funded program that helps low-income families afford child care. It was signed into law in 2023, and will not be affected by the expiration of the ARPA funding.
During the COVID shutdown, the United States government also allocated around $24 billion nationwide in order to stabilize child care centers during the pandemic. Over $61 million went to providers in Montana; however, the amount of money was more of a band-aid to cover up a larger wound.
September 30, 2023 was the official expiration date for the pandemic relief funds. As the funding disappeared, services were reduced, staff was lost, and even more centers were closed. In Montana, the total licensed capacity meets only 44% of the estimated number of children in need of child care, and that number is even lower for infants.
The $61 million from the ARPA funding for child care was for more than just stabilization grants. In total, $110 million was dedicated to the child care sector. Other such grants include $5.5 million to fund child care for parents in the medical field, grants for family and friend child care, and 30 grants for infrastructure improvement projects.
Historically, child care has been an underpaid field. Currently, the average wage reaches $12 per hour, which is not a livable wage in Missoula or other cities with similar living costs. With inflation raising the costs of gas and materials, paying staff inadequate wages, and the cost of food to feed the children, it becomes more difficult for the people working and managing these centers.
In Montana, the average cost of child care is around $7,900 annually per child, and that cost is usually even higher for infants. Around 88% of Montana families cannot afford to pay for child care.
A lack of child care has a large impact on a parent’s life, but if people ignore the impacts a shortage of child care has on an adolescence as well, then it will have large consequences on the next generations.
Children, specifically those who receive safe and engaging care, are more likely to have positive experiences through childhood. This includes having meaningful social and professional relationships, as well as an increased academic achievement and cognitive ability. They may also be reliable, safe, and care for themselves and others and provide peace of mind for the parents.
On the other side of the coin, poor or no child care has been shown to have negative and long-term developmental outcomes, including an increased risk of physical harm and poor diet later in life. Along with this, children may also struggle with relationships, academic achievements, and cognitive development.
As dire as the situation may seem, Missoula has created some ways to combat the situation at hand.
The amount of after-school programs has expanded, thanks to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. This may have also changed the demand of child care for older children as well, but as of right now, there is no statewide data. However, affordable after-school programs are still a challenge that many families struggle with.
Multiple child care programs are shifting from formal facilities and into people’s homes, making it more affordable for the people running the location. They are able to pay the workers more, and they don’t have to charge the parents as much in order to cover the payment of the location as well.
However, because of this, families are struggling to have a healthy work-life relationship. With younger children running around someone’s house, it leaves a family hardly any time with their own privacy or down time.
The balance between parents, children, money, and child care is delicate and most often hangs in the unknown. In Missoula, the people and the Missoula City Council have been trying to address it for years, but due to a lack of grants and money, there is not much that can be done for everyone living in the city. However, it is important to recognize that the city and the national government has taken actions in order to combat Missoula’s child care desert.
