Greenbush, Minn., child care group to soon release bid packet for new center

Grand Forks Herald - 4/20/2024

Apr. 20—GREENBUSH, Minn. — Lil Chompers Child Care, a group seeking to bring more child care slots to Roseau County, is preparing a bid packet for construction of a new center for Greenbush, Minnesota.

Founded in 2021, the nonprofit group has worked to support present child care providers in town and is excited to give parents access to a local center, some members said.

"Now it's going to be a reality," board member Brittany Babcock said. "It's not just a dream anymore."

Lil Chompers started out when there were two active providers in town, with the knowledge one would soon be closing, member Alicia Bauman said. Many members of the founding group, she said, had experience struggling to find child care for their children or grandchildren.

A survey done by First Children's Finance, an organization focused on child care, found that around 100 slots were needed from infancy up to school age, with infant demand being highest in the area. In-home providers tend to only take in one infant if they take in any at all, Lil Chompers President Eric Etherington said, and so the planned facility in Greenbush will have two infant rooms that can accommodate up to 16 infants. There is also space in the building for 14 toddlers and 10 preschoolers. While designs are still being finalized, the initial capacity is planned for 40 slots in total.

Feedback from the community has also shown anecdotal evidence for the lack of child care in town. Parents who work outside of Greenbush are taking their children with them to out-of-town child care providers, which Etherington said will more than likely cause them to choose schools in those areas instead of in Greenbush, or push parents to move out of town.

"With declining enrollment rates at our school in town and some other items within the city, we knew we needed to have reliable, quality child care in town," he said.

The funds needed to work on the project have come from grants and fundraising efforts, such as burger feeds, Easter egg hunts, raffles and other events. While the group is continuing to apply for grants and put together fundraising opportunities, recent federal funding has given it a push forward. Lil Chompers received $1 million in congressionally-directed spending and is working with the USDA to utilize the funds, as well as apply for additional funding.

Though there is still work to be done, the group plans for the center to be open at the beginning of the next school year. To Bauman, who moved back to Greenbush around three and a half years ago to raise her family, it gives her hope that young learners can stay in town.

"It's pretty powerful to be able to be part of helping grow your community," she said. "Just to be able to provide quality care — it's pretty phenomenal what our group has been able to accomplish over the last few years."

Etherington said those interested in learning more about Lil Chompers Child Care, or those who would like to donate or volunteer, can email the group at

lilchomperschildcare@gmail.com

or find it on its

official Facebook page

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