Minot’s council childcare committee reported at the Dec. 27 special meeting that the city faces a shortage of infant-care slots, long waiting lists for licensed providers and delays in provider licensure and pay that hinder hiring.

Councilmember Lisa Olsen, who chairs the committee, said families and providers reported waiting lists of three to five years in some cases and that the shortage affects military families, law enforcement, hospital staff and energy-sector workers. She said the committee’s work over the last 15 months identified both operational barriers for providers and a communications gap: HB 1540 (2023) appropriated $66 million to address childcare needs, but that funding has not been broadly understood or accessed at the local level.

Olsen said the committee will work with MACEDC and chamber partners to distribute information to families, current providers and prospective providers so local actors can take advantage of the available funding. The committee’s formal request to legislators is to continue support for childcare initiatives during the 2025 session, citing childcare as foundational to workforce recruitment and economic growth.

The committee did not ask the council to take an immediate local funding action; rather, members said they want state-level continuity of support and better community outreach to maximize the use of HB 1540 dollars.