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Speakers tell Belvidere council the city faces a major shortage of full‑time child‑care slots; longtime center warns it may close
Summary
Local advocates told Belvidere aldermen that the city has far fewer full‑time early‑childhood slots than children in need and that one long‑serving daycare faces imminent space loss that could force closure without community support.
Livia Bane, regional manager for Birth to Five Illinois, told the Belvidere City Council on June 2 that data show a substantial local shortfall in full‑time child‑care capacity for children under five. "Out of 1,888 children in Belvidere," Bane said, "you have 122 licensed family child care options and 354 licensed child care centers," leaving roughly 1,317 children with unknown or unmet full‑time care arrangements.
The data, Bane said, come from ICAM and FY23 census‑based figures maintained through Illinois State University. "There are no slots available for many working families," she said, and she offered to provide the council with additional breakdowns and resources.
Kelly McNeel, family and community engagement specialist for Birth to Five Illinois for Winnebago and Boone counties, added local context from family interviews and outreach: inconsistent care can derail…
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