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County map shows infant care scarcity and mixed provider reporting
Summary
Sherburne County's childcare availability map shows constrained infant and toddler slots, 21 centers and 134 family providers (down 14 since 2025); staff noted only 65% provider participation in reporting, leaving availability unknown for roughly 35% of providers.
EDA staff presented an updated childcare‑availability map and told the board that infant and toddler care remain constrained in parts of the county.
Brian reported the county has 21 childcare centers and 134 family childcare providers, a net loss of 14 providers since 2025, and an overall increase of about 155 slots year‑over‑year driven largely by center availability. He cautioned that participation in the mapping effort is about 65%, leaving the availability unknown for about 35% of providers who did not respond to calls.
Board members noted the map identifies a childcare desert in southeast St. Cloud with no infant slots and limited toddler care; staff said some drop‑in or unlicensed providers (for example, YMCA satellite programs) are not captured in the dataset because the map records full‑time licensed capacity only. The EDA said it will share the Saint Cloud State childcare data when available and continue working on improving mobile access and reporting cadence for the county map.
