The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce is hopeful a new initiative will take care of one of the community’s biggest challenges. On Tuesday at the Chamber’s monthly Business Matters luncheon, Chamber CEO Lorraine Clarno debuted an action plan to improve child care in the area.

The action plan is based on multiple surveys and focus group meetings that took place last year.

“We look forward to delivering for our community, that is first and foremost our charge this year with this initiative,” Clarno said.

Improving child care affordability is one of the top priorities of the burgeoning initiative.

Child care is considered affordable by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if a household pays 7% or less of its income on the service.

In Montana, the Chamber’s action plan states, the average cost of child care would require a family to make $112,857 annually.

Hourly rates for child care in the Flathead, according to respondents to a household survey, range from $12 to $15. Daily rates average around $40 to $50, and monthly rates for child care five days a week are anywhere between $850 and $1,500.

Availability is a concern on par with affordability. According to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, there are 1,665 licensed child care slots in Flathead County, which account for only 28% of children up to age 5.

THE CHALLENGES with child care not only affect families, but also jeopardize local industries. In a survey sent to Flathead Valley businesses, “almost all respondents reported child care related problems,” the action plan states.

There were 197 respondents.

According to a Montana Department of Labor and Industry survey, caring for children or elderly relatives is the third most common reason for workers leaving the workforce.

Based on this demonstration of the need for child care intervention, the Chamber established four action items aimed at improving availability and affordability of child care options in the Flathead. The action items include outreach, education, identifying space, and encouraging home-based child care.

On the outreach front, the Chamber and volunteers will work on a variety of advocacy efforts targeted at educating business leaders, elected officials and community members about ways to improve child care in the area.

“The group will help craft the message and be advocates for solutions,” the action plan states. The group might also contract with a communications specialist to develop materials.

The outreach effort could cost up to $20,000, the action plan estimates.

To improve education in the child care field, the Chamber hopes to establish a scholarship at Flathead Valley Community College for students in early childhood education. The scholarship could cover tuition and supplies costs for students who work for a Flathead County child care provider during their degree program.

The Chamber plans to pilot the scholarship for two years to determine its effectiveness.

Identifying space for child care centers is another priority for the Chamber and participants in the effort to improve local child care.

The group is looking at utilizing space at FVCC or the Gateway Center Mall for child care centers, or expanding existing centers. The organization might also send out a Request of Interest to identify potential areas for expansion.

Finally, the Chamber is considering ways to promote home-based child care. These could include technical assistance, business planning and financial assistance with start-up costs.

The Chamber could use a variety of grants and fee reimbursements to create this support for home-based child care.

Another possibility would be putting together a home-based child care expo as a “one-stop shop” to connect potential home-based child care operators with resources.

Clarno encouraged community members to volunteer with the Chamber to get the action plan up and running.

“This is going to take our village and you are all a part of that,” she told attendees of the Chamber luncheon on Tuesday.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.