Common sense and paying attention to what’s going on in our world is what we at the Clay County News attempt to do each week. For that matter, any and all community newspapers throughout Nebraska, and the United States I hope work week in and week out with this same sense.
This week, as you will see, I ran across a story from the Flatwater Free Press, an independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter, released a story by Sara Gentzler a reporter on the Flatwater staff that focused on an effort by state lawmakers that are trying to focus on the child care crisis, specifically in Nebraska, but let’s be honest, the crisis goes far beyond the Nebraska borders.
It’s an obvious, and never-ending crisis in Clay County, and while this story focuses in on the Dimensions child care center, operated by the First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln and the fact that the church had to make an extremely tough decision to close their care center after 55 years so of service to the Lincoln community. In a single email sent in early March the lives of 116 families that took their children were left scrambling after the Lincoln church decided to close the care center due to funding issues, and more directly, the lack of funding.
My thought process as I read this article was pretty simple, the issues that will cause the Dimensions child care center to close on May 23, this year, can easily have that same effect on care centers in Clay County, so as you read that story this week, relate this to our care centers in the county, and the constant financial battles they face week in and week out.
While many of us can get really frustrated with things going on in the Nebraska Legislature, it’s good to know that there are some reasonable state senators in Nebraska who recognize the financial shortfall, and hoops that daycare centers have to jump through because of state and federal regulations, are at the very least looking into ways to help alleviate some the hurdles that care centers have to go through, both legally, and certainly financially.
SHORTAGE OF EDUCATORS So that article also took me down the avenue that lawmakers also need to help find ways to take the pressures off Nebraska’s school administrators, and school board officials regarding hiring qualified and stellar educators for students across the State of Nebraska.
Each year I hear from our administration, and board members how tough it is to attract solid teachers to each of our respective school districts in Clay County.
Sutton, Harvard and Sandy Creek, unfortunately, aren’t the only districts fighting this battle. I have several friends throughout the state whot choose education as their profession.
Some have left the field, simply because it was time to retire. Others have left because of the lack of resources, support and certainly because of the lack of respect from school district patrons that aren’t supportive of teachers that educate their own children.
It’s a real problem that I hope lawmakers will get the work to help figure out a way to strengthen the “pool of educators” for schools across the state.
I know that discussions are going on related to how to ease the stress on administrators and board members to be able to fill their classrooms with solid, qualified educators, but the work to keep finding ways to make it easier, and more profitable for kids coming out of colleges and universities to go into the education profession easier, and be more attractive.
SO IN THE END...
As you read the Flatwater Free Press story this week, don’t think in terms of “what was Duncan thinking” putting a story in the paper about child care crisis in Lincoln. Instead, focus on relating to the effects the Lincoln child care center closing has put on the 116 familes. Without further help to ease the regulatory hoops and financial drain on these facilities, centers can not continue to survive.... It is real folks. Without child care it will make it hard to attract young families to Clay County, whether they grew up here or not. Child care is a big difference maker to where young families will put down roots.
