Valentine mayor speaks on statewide panel addressing Nebraska’s childcare crisis

VALENTINE, Neb. - Valentine Mayor Kyle Arganbright was one of the panelists in a statewide panel addressing the childcare crisis. We Care for Kids, an organization focused on early childhood education in Nebraska, hosted the conversation on Tuesday.

“We used to have more people than jobs. Now we have more jobs than people, so it’s shifting to a people-attraction strategy. The first two questions we always hear from a potential new resident in Valentine and other similar rural communities are, ‘Can I find housing,’ and, ‘Can I find childcare,’” said Arganbright.

Other panelists applauded Valentine for the creative steps people in the community have taken to address the childcare shortage, including several entities coming together to form the Valentine Children and Families Coalition. The nonprofit is focused on early childhood development and resources. One of the coalition's latest projects is opening a childcare facility in the basement of St. John’s Episcopal Church.

“We have one childcare center in a church, and we’re working with two, if not three other churches, to utilize that space that’s typically only used for evening prayer groups or weekend Sunday school,” said Arganbright.

Arganbright said that several other ideas are also in the works, but financial sustainability remains a key consideration.

Joining Arganbright on the panel were childcare providers, lobbyists, and representatives from nonprofit organizations specializing in early childhood education. Together, they emphasized that the childcare crisis is not isolated to specific regions but a pressing issue affecting communities across Nebraska.

“Sometimes it makes more sense for families to have one spouse stay home with children than it does for them to work. Affordability, quality and availability are all top of mind for people in rural Nebraska,” said Arganbright.

“I heard this great quote. ‘You can invest in the playpen or the penitentiary,’” said another panelist, Jodi-Renee Giron with First Five Nebraska.

The panel underscored the urgent need for innovative solutions to support working families and attract new residents to Nebraska’s rural communities.