Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune

Pope County received some great news on Friday when U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $1,875,000 in funding for a project to create a new child care center licensed for 100 children from newborns to school-aged children as well as a community early childhood education hub in Pope County.

Then over the weekend, the U.S. Senate approved the legislation with the funding and it was signed by President Joe Biden on Saturday.

That is a $1.875 million boost to child care and early childhood education right here in Pope County.

This didn’t happen overnight and credit goes to both Klobuchar and Smith as well as Kylie Baldwin, director of the Lakes Area Enrichment Center (formerly Kingdom Kids); Jeannie Pederson, Pope County EC/THRIVE Initiative Coordinator and Acting Pope County Child Care Task Force Chair; and Tammy  Anderson, Pope County Child Care Project Manager.  Anderson used her expertise in grant writing and to help solicit and successful get the funding.

There were other local players as well. Discussions between multiple sectors have been happening for a number of years regarding child care access, according to Jeannie Pederson.  From those conversations, the Pope County Child Care Task Force was initiated after the visit of Sen. Klobuchar in January to address the sustainability and/or relocation of the Lakes Area Enrichment Center (formerly Kingdom Kids). “In February, the Task Force expanded to also include a focus on family child care and early learning. Through the Pope County Early Childhood/THRIVE Initiative, a grant was submitted to West Central Initiative to hire a child care project manager,” Pederson explained. That’s when Tammy Anderson became involved.

This is the first step, albeit, and large one, for continuing the quest to provide adequate child care and education in Pope County.  Anderson said it well when she was asked to comment on the recent funding.

“Child care is the economic driver for rural communities. When families cannot find child care, they are forced to make difficult choices about where to live and work. When we invest in child care, we get a lifetime of results for children, families and workforce. Because when children thrive, so do our communities.”

We couldn’t agree more.  Next week we will report more on  local project details and monies needed beyond the award and what it means for Pope County.