Economic Challenges and the Strain on Child Care
Cloud County is home to Concordia, where Concordia Technology and Gerard Tank & Steel have their strongholds, as well as to some of Kansas’ most resilient and passionate citizens.
This is a small town with a population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants, but its large industrial offerings stand at odds against their imminent needs as a community. According to Jonna, a Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator with Child Care Aware of Kansas, Concordia’s poverty rate is 15.8%, which is higher than the state poverty level, placing this county high on the Social Vulnerability Index.
At the heart of this vulnerability lies child care. Families in this county must work to survive and must have child care to do so, yet child care is often problematically undervalued as a field. This leads to a lack of support for child care providers and families, ultimately resulting in a lack of available and affordable child care options in Cloud County.
Voices from the Community: The Need for Respect and Recognition
The impact of the issues of poverty and lack of respect for child care as a field is immediately apparent among those who navigate the child care system in Cloud County. Crystal, a provider in Concordia, shared that she is overrun with families in need of child care, and that her waitlist extends all the way to August of 2025.
Skylar and Courtney, the parents of a daughter in the same town, echoed this statement, expressing that finding infant care in their county was very difficult, and that this is a common problem among rural communities in the state of Kansas. Crystal and Krystal, a coalition leader and Vice Principal of an elementary school in Concordia, also shared that the lack of recognition and respect for the child care field as a whole means that its value goes unseen, and therefore goes unsupported.
This leaves families and providers in a lurch, but also has a negative impact on the community development, as large portions of paychecks go toward unsubsidized child care, rather than being put back into the economic growth of the county. As Crystal emphasized, a lack of child care “impacts everyone,” including children. She said, “Kids feel their parents stress,” and this ultimately impedes their ability to develop and grow without interference from the stressors of their caregivers.
Harnessing Passion for Long-Term Sustainability
Cloud County is abundant in one of the most important resources to exist, however: Passion. According to Krystal, the dream for their coalition is long-term sustainability and community growth, and they are passionate enough to advocate for what will get them to those goals. Crystal shared that providers feel under-supported, but that they desperately want to provide quality experiences. Skylar and Courtney also feel that providers in their community “really care,” and that given enough respect and support, they would be able to achieve that goal. Respect for providers, each participant in this interview felt, is among the most pressing issues.
When providers are respected by their community, their field is valued, they receive the financial support that they desperately need, and they are able to better provide a necessary service upon which their community depends.
Care Aware of Kansas suggests that a simple way for communities to support their providers is by joining in Provider Appreciation Day. This annual celebration, held on the Friday before Mother’s Day, honors the work of child care providers, teachers, and other educators of young children. Krystal, Skylar, Courtney, and Crystal each agreed that if providers are adequately supported financially and in terms of resources, parents, children, and the community-at-large will benefit greatly.
Cloud County’s Call to Action
As Cloud County continues to experience growing pains in the child care system, it is wealthy in passionate community members who are willing to fight for their children, and ultimately, their future. By spotlighting the importance of child care work, these community members feel that providers will gain much-needed support, and as a result, families will have more high-quality, affordable child care options that ultimately benefit the entire community. In the end, as Crystal vehemently expressed, the community depends on child care. It is time for the community to recognize this and support it accordingly.
https://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Concordia-Kansas.html
