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How to understand Montana’s childcare conundrum?

August 13, 2024 /

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How much would you estimate a year of childcare for a child under five in Montana might cost?

If you guessed close to $20,000 – you’re correct. Montana families paid an average of $18,940 for childcare services in 2023, according to the state health department, equivalent to 28% of the state’s median household income. This is just one of many astounding statistics published in an MTFP investigation earlier this summer examining Montana’s childcare conundrum.

Like housing, childcare is an issue that is sharply felt nationwide with serious consequences right here in Montana. We covered this story partly to get beyond the statistics and to the heart of what it means to real people across the state.

As education reporter Alex Sakariassen says, “We asked ‘Who’s the face behind these numbers? Let’s meet the person who puts this statistic in context.’”

So, Alex spent multiple mornings with one family in the story, the Cochrans, visited three childcare providers as a fly on the wall and traveled to Salish Kootenai College to see their childcare outfit and training ground, enabling us to take readers into the lived experience of families in Montana. Ultimately, Alex spent months in the field reporting for the community by being in the community.

Because of our structure as an independently funded newsroom, we can give reporters this freedom and flexibility to chase a big story and give it the deeper treatment and narrative coverage it deserves.

All photos credit: John Stember

Montana Free Press also regularly collaborates with other newsrooms, and this reporting was supported by a grant from fellow news nonprofit Open Campus. This new partnership allowed us to include a higher education perspective, gave us access to the resources of a national nonprofit and enabled us to hire a photographer, something our typical budget doesn’t always allow but that helped bring to life the personal angle of this reporting.

Besides bringing to light the personal toll and (un)affordability of the childcare crisis, our coverage highlighted how the issue affects workers and the economy in Montana. Alex provides readers like you with the state-level perspective on a topic that, while it may not affect every Montanan directly, has significant implications for everyone in our state.

The feature received a lot of positive feedback, including from one reader, Caitlin J., who emailed, “Thank you for writing such an amazing article about child care. It elevated the complexity of the issue and the various angles of the system, which I really value and appreciate from the perspective of an early childhood systems leader at Zero to Five Montana. As a parent of a 6-month-old and 3-year-old struggling with access to child care, it was also very relevant and relatable!”

The personal stories Alex continues to receive from Montanans reaffirms what prompted this reporting to begin with: this is a story that warrants a lot of attention and hasn’t gotten enough yet.

Our rigorous, thoughtful reporting is made possible by readers like you. Will you support critical, in-depth reporting with a contribution to MTFP today?

Yes, I support in-depth journalism!

With gratitude,

John S. Adams

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Montana Free Press