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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 themselves for multiple pay periods. The survey also found that 72% of respondents had been unable to pay themselves at least twice during the prior 12 months and that workforce burnout and low wages are driving turnover.
Kristen Roselle, speaking for United Way of Southeastern Idaho and as owner of a local center, outlined United Way programs that support providers including training, data work and family engagement events. Leah Hollow, a child‑care owner, emphasized the industry’s role in keeping nurses, police and other workers on the job and urged city support, drawing contrasts with states that have enacted large funding packages for early‑childhood systems.
Committee and council members discussed municipal options. Council members asked committee staff for specific city‑level policy proposals and code changes, and staff said they have been reviewing the city’s child‑care licensing code and had identified potential changes but were holding off pending the state bill (House Bill 243) that could change the local licensing framework. Committee staff and providers warned that the state bill could remove some local controls, reduce inspection frequency, and change background‑check requirements; staff said those elements concern providers who value local licensing and oversight.
Committee members proposed several municipal actions for council consideration, including: exploring ways to reduce licensing costs and background‑check burdens where legally possible, investigating insurance co‑ops and food‑program sponsorships to reduce operating costs, encouraging employers to provide on‑site or shift‑friendly care for employees, and pursuing targeted grants and workforce development to improve wages and retention. Council asked the committee to return with concrete ordinance language or specific initiatives so councilors could evaluate them.
No vote was taken at the work session; the committee and council agreed to continue discussions and for staff to bring firmer code or funding proposals when available.
