North Dakota
Working families in North Dakota need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in North Dakota. But too many working families in North Dakota are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the North Dakota economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 64k children ages 5 and under in North Dakota
72% of these children have all available parents in the workforce
The typical annual cost of child care in North Dakota is around $8,700
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 10% of eligible families. This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care
North Dakota’s economy loses $354M annually due to child care challenges
North Dakota: In The Headlines
Letter: Child care workforce needs long-term solutions
Minot Daily News | March 2, 2023
Child care is critical to North Dakota’s economy and directly correlated to the state’s workforce. Child care providers are struggling to recruit and retain staffing, forcing many providers to close their doors permanently.
Child care shortage impacts rural and agriculture jobs in the upper Midwest
Pioneer Journal | May 15, 2023
The North Dakota Soybean Council’s director of market development recently stepped back from her full-time job to work part time at her local rural day care. A shortage of child care is the reason.
North Dakota has a rural child care problem
HPR | November 14, 2023
The constant fight to find quality, affordable child care in North Dakota is a common phenomenon and is particularly prevalent in rural communities.
North Dakota Resources & News
Subscribe to FFYF First Look
Every morning, FFYF reports on the latest child care & early learning news from across the country. Subscribe and take 5 minutes to know what's happening in early childhood education.