The daycare issue is a crisis in Cook County currently. A couple of weeks ago there were over 40 families on a wait list to get daycare in Cook County. A few months previous to that there were about 20 families. The crisis is a good thing, we made young people a top priority in the Cook County Go Team’s agenda a few years ago and not that we have a thing to do with it, we are having a baby boom.
The daycare issue is also a complicated one. The licensing is complicated and there are many variables to be considered. But overall, we as the Cook County Y Advisory Board have jumped in to do something about the crisis. I would love to see us all band together, the private daycares along with the Y’s efforts to really make a difference providing day care to all who really need this service. The more voices, helpers, etc. the better. This is NOT the time to work against each other.
Day care and affordable housing are desperately needed so that we can fill the professional job vacancies we have in Cook County and so that we can continue to grow and prosper as a community. Imagine moving to Cook County with dreams of contributing to the community on many levels, only to find out that your options were extremely limited. Most folks when moving here realize that housing is a limited resource, but most are extremely surprised and dismayed to learn that there are no daycare options for their children.
Let’s solve the issue together! Emily Marshall of the YMCA along with other wonderful community members have done tons of work to try to solve this issue on behalf of the young families who live here and the young families who dream of living in Cook County someday. One of the greatest gifts we offer to the world is our great children raised in Cook County.
Cook County Commissioner
Jan Sivertson
Cook County YMCA liaison
Grand Marais
Leave a Reply