Part 4: This Is an Economic Issue, Not Just a Family One

By Rebekah Z. 

If you don’t have kids, or your kids are grown, you might think this doesn’t affect you. But I recently sat down with some people who are looking at the big picture: April Jesperson from the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Sarah Schrapp from the YMCA, and Staci Gilpin from Rural Pathways. 

Their message was clear: when childcare is scarce, our local economy suffers.

When parents can’t find a safe place for their kids, they don’t just “figure it out.” Often, they have to cut back on hours or leave the workforce entirely. They might limit their career growth, turn down promotions, or decide not to have more children because the math simply doesn’t work. 

The data reflects this “unique economic hurdle.” Back in 2018, Itasca’s average unemployment rate was about 5.4%. At that same time, the Minnesota statewide average was only 2.9%. Today, Itasca County has an employment rate of 51.9%, which significantly trails the state average of 65.5%. 

And local employers are feeling the pinch. When a parent has to stay home because their daycare closed or they’re on a three-year waitlist, that’s one less worker available for our local businesses. It limits the talent pool and stunts the growth of the very companies that keep our county running. Businesses shrink their hours or in extreme cases, close all together. Availability and community disappears.

By investing in early childhood daycare and educational programs, local advocates say, we aren’t just “helping parents.” We are building an economically vibrant future for everyone. We are ensuring that our youngest neighbors—those 1,132 kids under five—are learning and thriving in safe, nurturing environments.

At the end of the day, we want Itasca County to be a place where families can thrive, not just survive “by the skin of their teeth.” We want a future where a parent doesn’t have to choose between a grocery bill and a daycare bill, and where employers have the workforce they need because childcare is a sturdy bridge rather than a broken one.