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Child care advisory committee urges local and state action as centers struggle to remain open
Summary
The city’s Child Care Advisory Committee told the council that staffing shortages, rising costs and loss of subsidy programs are constraining capacity; the committee recommended municipal code review and urged help from state and local business partners.
City staff and child‑care providers told the Pocatello City Council work session that local child‑care capacity is stretched and that providers face persistent staffing and financial challenges.
Mallory Bascom, licensing enforcement officer with the Pocatello Police Department and staff liaison to the Child Care Advisory Committee, reported there are 27 licensed child‑care centers and in‑home providers in Pocatello that can serve roughly 1,730 children and that 2024 saw three provider closures. Bascom said the committee surveyed 18 providers (67% response rate) and found many had trouble making payroll, used personal funds to cover expenses and were unable to pay…
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