Child care in Missoula: ‘They should call me as soon as they know they’re pregnant’

Options for child care in Missoula are so scarce that some providers are advising expecting mothers to request a spot for their children as soon as they find out they’re pregnant.

“I say that the day you find out you’re pregnant, you need to call me,” said Katherine West, the executive director of Fort Courage Childcare, a center for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years old in the Orchard Homes area.

Recently, the Missoula tech firm Submittable opened an in-house child care facility for its employees, which the Chamber hopes can serve as a model for other businesses.