Business owners urge ND Legislature to act on childcare

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Lawmakers are considering a number of bills that would make childcare more affordable in North Dakota, and business owners say it’s sorely needed.

Entrepreneurs in small towns around the state say the prospect of hiring workers has become increasingly more difficult as the childcare crisis has worsened. And they’re hoping lawmakers in Bismarck will take action this session.

“Just to say that nobody wants to work anymore and everybody’s lazy, that’s really not true. There are underlying factors. In a community like Beulah, getting a nice daycare center that can take in a lot of kids, I think that’s one of the keys to the kingdom, as long as letting our market flourish,” said Losson Leonard, a businessman from Beulah.

Last week, the House defeated two bills that would have established an income tax credit for parents and provided monthly payments to providers. But addressing childcare isn’t yet off the table, as HHS’s budget is expected to include some of those provisions.

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