Group worried over loss of daycares

The St. Paul area is in a child care crisis, with five centers closing over the past year. Center operators, teachers and families are mobilizing to seek solutions, working with local elected officials.
Children’s Center Montessori, 1536 Minnehaha Ave., is one of the latest closures. School supplies and fixtures were sold in late June. The center had operated since 1971, providing child care and Montessori education for children up to age six.
Children’s Center Montessori was founded in 1971 by John and Elaine Rademacher. Gretchen Harkins, director and teacher, is John and Elaine’s daughter. She had been teaching full-time since 1991 and was director since 2002.
Many area families had more than one generation of children there.
The Midway center and Children’s Country Day School in Mendota Heights are the latest to close. Others that have already shut their doors are Sandcastle Early Learning Center in the West End, Hallie Q. Brown in Summit-University, and St. Catherine University’s Early Childhood Center in Highland. The centers that are closing or have closed have more than 150 years’ combined experience in serving children and families. Hallie Q. Brown’s early childhood program, believed to be one of the oldest in the state at 96 years, closed in January.
Some of the closings have happened suddenly, giving families limited time to find new options.
A group of more than 80 people gathered in June to discuss the child care crisis. They will meet again at 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17 at Big Wonder Child Care. It is housed at 60 Kent St. The group in June outlined issues and discussed their concerns with state lawmakers. The July meeting is to focus on drafting a strategy and organizing for needed changes. Learn more at https://secure.everyaction.com/IONhYrLraEinqXKTE4R6Fg2.
The group is working with the faith-based group ISAIAH’s Kids Count effort.
Big Wonder began less than two years ago and is housed at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church. The church helps the small child care center out with some of its needs, to help defray costs.
Director Celeste Finn spoke of the tight budgets her center and others operate under. Big Wonder has about 50 children. Finn said just one or two occurrences are enough to upend a carefully planned center budget.
State lawmakers agree that more needs to be done, with Representatives David Pinto, Kaoly Her and Mary Frances Clardy addressing the group. “This is one of the most critical issues of our time,” Her said.
“There is nothing more important time than your early moments and your early years,” said Pinto. He and the other state lawmakers present said it’s important to discuss state support for early childhood programs, possibly as part of the state’s 2027-2028 budget.
St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker called the situation “frustrating.” In 2024, she championed an unsuccessful ballot initiative that would have allowed the city to levy property taxes to fund child care for low income families.
Noecker said it is difficult to find a concrete solution. “Who’s caring for our caregivers?”
Pinto said that state lawmakers have taken steps to increase tax benefits and teacher pay, measures that should help child care centers. But he said much more must be done, especially for the working poor who often must choose between a second family income or caring for children at home.
Attendees at the June meeting listed the many reasons child care centers are closing. Many centers break even or operate with a very thin profit margin. Teachers can find better paying work elsewhere. Many teachers burn out after years of working in the field.
Inflation takes a toll as supply and food costs are rising. Then there are state and local mandates, including earned sick safe time and a future paid family medical leave that affect or will affect staffing.
According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), St. Paul has 116 licensed child care centers. This fiscal year, from July 1 to June 30, there have been eight closures. Six centers have opened in the city in that same calendar year.