Open house provides opportunities, knowledge for area childcare
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FAIRMONT - Over 30 child care providers or employees of providers attended an open house presented by Fairbault and Martin County Health and Human Services (FMCHS) at Grace Lutheran Church in Fairmont on Thursday.
Before and during the event, providers had the opportunity to have their fire extinguishers checked and exchanged if needed. There was also an advice tree where participants could write advice on cards and place them on a tree for others to read.
FMCHS Child Care Licenser Audrey Schultz said the past year has brought significant challenges for childcare providers.
"Particularly as we have worked towards meeting and maintaining our licensing standards," she said. "It hasn’t been easy, and there have been moments that have tested all of our patience, commitment and perseverance. I am so grateful for each of you as you have continued to show up, put in the work, remain committed and believe and move forward."
While there is more work to be done to address the area's childcare problems, Schultz said she is thankful they are moving in the right direction.
"Every step forward is an opportunity to learn, improve and become stronger together," she said. "Most importantly, thank you to each of you for the part you play in caring for our children. Your patience, dedication, compassion and hard work matter more than you may realize. Tonight is about appreciation, but it’s also about hope. I’m proud of the progress we’re making, grateful for the people beside me, and excited about what we can accomplish together moving forward," she told those gathered.
Each organization that attended, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, the MN Department of Children, Youth and Families and Office of Ombudsmen for Family Childcare, First Children's Finance, Families First and Providers Choice had their opportunity to share as well.
SMIF's Vice President of Early Childhood Kelly Fluharty went first, stating that early childhood is a piece of their economic development mission.
"You all are helping to raise our future community leaders," she said. "Our future workforce, and this is really an important part of powering our community."
Fluharty said they thread through support with other organizations like Families First and First Children's Finance to help get childcare businesses started, as well as doing lending themselves.
On the state side of things, Minnesota's Ombudsperson for Family Child Care Providers Lisa Thompson said she assists providers with advocating for their business.
"Sometimes people bring their ideas or concerns to me, and I take them forward for them," she said. "Sometimes I help people figure out how to move an idea forward on their own and together with others in their area. I help providers with everything from your interaction with government employees, whether it’s at the state level, or even with the food program at the federal level. The other thing that I frequently help people with is helping them make plans and develop tools for staying in compliance."
Of the attendees who got to soak in everything said and also meet with the organizations before and after their speeches, Dana Lensert, is one of the newest to the area. Originally from Truman, she operated a childcare business in Burnsville for 20 years before she chose to come back to the area.
After finding a post advertising an open space, Lensert will be opening Little Lakes Learning Center in Grace Lutheran Church. To start off, an open house will be available at the church from 4 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 13.
To have an event like this where she was able to communicate and network with providers from several sectors of child care support, Lensert said it is very important to see this in the local childcare space.
"Community is big," she said. "It’s nice when providers can network and learn from each other and grow."
After the speeches, the event was capped off with a demonstration and materials on how to use a fire extinguisher effectively, which utilized two child care providers as participants.