Two local groups recently undertook a survey that identified various issues and needs surrounding early child care in the Yankton area.
Sponsored by the Yankton Business-Civic Leadership Group on Early Care and Education and South Dakota Voices For Children, the survey’s findings were released under the title, “Another Bridge to Yankton’s Future.” The findings were released Thursday in a panel discussion at the Avera Sacred Heart Benedictine Center.
According to Cory Nelson of the Human Services Center, 148 parents with children under the age of 11 participated in the survey.
“The responses were across the income spectrum,” Nelson said. “Seventy-six percent of the respondents were from Yankton, with the rest being from the surrounding communities, and we all know that Yankton employers draw from that surrounding area.”
The survey found that those parents had several issues of concern.
“First and foremost, parents indicated when they were receiving child care, they wanted their child to be in a safe environment,” Nelson said. “After that, significantly behind the health and safety aspect, parents wanted care that was affordable and had a learning focus to it.
“Ranking near the bottom was that the provider be licensed or registered by the state, although the focus of licensing and registration is on the health and safety of the care environment,” he said.
Of the three types of early child care in South Dakota, three require a license from the state. The other — family child care, which is required to serve no more than 12 children at a time — has an optional registration policy.
“Such registration ensures that health and safety standards are met so that the child care business is a safe place for children,” said Pam Kettering of the Yankton United Way and Volunteer Services. “In Yankton County, including the city of Yankton, 33 family child care businesses have chosen to be registered with the state.”
Two other types of child care are seen predominantly in the Yankton area, and both require state licensing.
“One is the group family child care, which serves between 13 and 20 children. We have five such providers in Yankton County,” Kettering said. “The other category is the child care centers, each able to serve 21 or more children. There are eight such centers in Yankton County.”
Based on the survey’s findings, recommendations have been made to help improve conditions of, and increase education regarding, early child care and education facilities.
Nelson said this includes instituting an awareness campaign that shows the connection of health and safety with being a licensed, registered provider; developing and implementing an ordinance that requires the providers to meet specific standards in the community; and promoting training opportunities for all child care providers.
It’s an important issue, said Kathy Harens of the Mount Marty Child Care Center.
“The first 18 months are crucial for emotional development,” she said. “Without nurturing contact, the cortex and lineage system do not grow and organize normally. There is no substitute for a nurturing environment from loving, consistent care.”
The issue isn’t only about development, Kettering said.