Many citizens have complained publicly about the lack of daycare in Saratoga. Local mothers Sarah Chatfield and Myra Kopasz, both studying for their masters degrees, have been spearheading an effort to bring a licensed daycare provider to Saratoga.
“It’s always been a problem that there’s not a licensed daycare,” Chatfield said. “You should be able to come into Saratoga and say ‘here is a licensed daycare provider, here is their name and they have room.’”
While Chatfield and Kopasz praised the efforts of ExCel as well as those running daycares out of their homes, both admitted that there is a deficit in the community without a daycare, since both the preschool and the home daycares have been filled. A licensed daycare is ideal for several reasons, including that low-income families may get daycare subsidized if it is a licensed facility so they may work or continue their education.
As of right now, Kopasz and Chatfield are looking to find someone that currently runs a daycare out of their home to become licensed, however their efforts have been unsuccessful.
Licensed daycares in Wyoming have several standards to meet. The process for the provider requires tuberculosis testing, zoning approval where required, documentation that the applicant has not been diagnosed with any medical or emotional conditions that would interfere with care has been diagnosed, proof of required education, training or experience as well as detailed background checks, according to the Wyoming Department of Family Services.
Once licensed, the daycare would be subject to annual inspections, including examination of facilities, equipment, records and health and sanitation conditions. Rules include staff to child ratios and maximum group sizes, as well as specific requirements for health, safety and history regarding staff members. Information about the center’s menus, ratios, sick children and safety procedures must be available to all parents. Procedures for punishment, care and attention, nutritional standards and health standards must be met. According to Chatfield, if two or three people currently running daycare out of their home would become licensed, the problem would be solved in a safe way for Saratoga.
Despite rigid standards, Kopasz and Chatfield insist that the facility is necessary for growth in the community as well as parents having a trustworthy space to leave their children. “There’s a lot of different ways to do that, and we’re looking for the best way,” Chatfield said. “I feel like our job is to present a wide variety of options and see what sticks to the community.” According to their research, non-traditional options, such as a daycare combined with a nursing home with scheduled visitation between the groups, are possible solutions.
Although non-traditional options are being discussed, a traditional standalone daycare is possible. “There’s a couple contractors in town that are interested in building a facility and then renting it out to whoever would want to come and run it,” Kopasz said, adding that right now they have to figure out who it is that would want to come in and run a daycare.
“I don’t know what the answer is for Saratoga, but not having any answer is not okay,” Chatfield said, adding that people are unwilling to move to town when they learn that there is not a licensed daycare facility.
The hunt for funding is just as complicated; the pair is looking into what is available for anyone that might be interested in starting a daycare. Kopasz and Chatfield have been calling child and family organizations at the state level as well as the Wyoming Business Council, who helped Baggs with their facility. While some low-interest loans exist from the Wyoming Business Council, their start in August made it such that they are missing application deadline for grants and loans.
Right now, Kopasz and Chatfield are watching each others’ children, switching around their school schedules and working around their husbands’ hours. While they understand that they knew there would be sacrifices in going back to school, they admit that this is not ideal. “I’m student teaching in the fall and I have no idea what I’m going to do with the kids,” Kopasz said.
“There’s a lot of stay at home moms who would love to work even part-time and contribute back into the economy but they can’t,” Kopasz said. “You just want to be able to do stuff.”
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