Child Care Task Force Facilitation | 2023-2024
The Challenge: The City of Duluth was facing a significant gap between the number of available child care slots and the growing demand from families. To address this issue, a Child Care Task Force was established with members representing child care providers, local government, education, business, and nonprofit sectors. The goal of the Task Force was to develop sustainable and collaborative solutions to expand child care availability across the city.
Role: Northspan led the Task Force through a comprehensive process to identify strategic actions for improving Duluth’s child care landscape. This included presenting national, state, and local context to help members understand the scope of the problem, conducting a survey to gather ideas from Task Force members and local child care experts, and facilitating several workshops to develop targeted strategies. Northspan compiled the insights into a final report and presented it to the community.
Results: The Task Force developed a set of strategies aimed at supporting existing child care providers and fostering the growth of new facilities, including:
- Increasing Community Education and Support
- Developing a Sustainable Workforce
- Creating Opportunities for Current and New Facilities
- Improving Financial Support for Providers and Parents
These strategies serve as a guide toward a more accessible, supported child care system for families in Duluth.
Reference: Mayor Roger Reinert, rreinert@duluthmn.gov , 218.730.5230