There are 12,260 licensed child care slots in Sioux Falls, but 64% of child care centers can’t enroll their licensed capacity because they don’t have enough workers, according to the Sioux Falls Childcare Collaborative. That cuts actual available slots by hundreds — and it’s a familiar situation across the state.

The collaborative presented the results of a six-month study in June, detailing affordability challenges — for parents and caregivers — and potential solutions to address the need.

One of those recommendations was “increase career pathways to the profession,” such as creating a high school dual-credit program or developing internships and job training programs.

Beginning this fall, one of those solutions will kick off in schools across the state: a high school-level Child Development Associate (CDA) course. The course will allow high school students to earn the credential to work toward becoming an early childhood education professional at day cares and preschools while earning high school credits toward graduation.

“We can’t keep talking about how there’s a teacher and early childhood shortage and not do anything about it,” said Summer Schultz, incoming superintendent of the Brookings School District and former Dell Rapids superintendent. “Our preschools and day cares need to keep staffed with quality people. This opens the door for more trained individuals at an earlier date.”

The program allows any student in South Dakota interested in early childhood education to earn a CDA credential through a virtual course. Larger school districts, like Aberdeen and Harrisburg, will have their own in-person courses, said Travis Lape, innovative programs director at Harrisburg and Educators Rising SD state director.

The program was created through a partnership between Educators Rising SD, the state Department of Social Services, Sanford CHILD Services and the federal Department of Education Head Start Collaboration Office.

Read the full article about child care workers by Makenzie Huber at The 74.