SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Child care is not only expensive it is hard to find. More parents are quitting their jobs to stay at home to take care of their kids. But a new scholarship program aims to help.
Students in the Early Childhood program at Southeast Technical College share an interest in caring for kids.
Now some of them may be able to graduate from this program debt-free. The city of Sioux Falls is putting $450,000 into the Build Dakota scholarship program over three years. City Council member Rich Merkouris says the city’s investment will be worth it.
“I think the big thing is we are looking at this as an opportunity to increase workforce in the community, and we know there are continued ongoing challenges with childcare but this is a good first step,” said Merkouris.
“One of the keys behind the Build Dakota scholarship is this idea of the match from a local employee. well in the child care industry, the employer can’t provide the match because there are no funds. So how do you get somebody to leave school without debt? Because no one is going to go to school, get debt, and then go into the child care industry. So the city’s funds are able to be the match,” Merkouris continued.