skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Wildfires prompt evacuation in the Carolinas as New Jersey crews battle their own blaze; Iowa town halls find 'empty chairs'; California groups bring generations together to work on society's biggest problems; and Pennsylvania works to counter Trump clean energy rollbacks.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Lawmakers from both parties face angry constituents. Some decide to skip town halls rather than address concerned voters and Kentucky considers mandatory Medicaid work requirements.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Cuts to Medicaid and frozen funding for broadband are both likely to have a negative impact on rural healthcare, which is already struggling. Plus, lawsuits over the mass firing of federal workers have huge implications for public lands.

MN child care stakeholders: 'Broken' system needs more than minor fixes

play audio
Play

Tuesday, March 4, 2025   

Some 45 day care centers in Minnesota temporary closed their doors early this week to highlight the ongoing child care crisis. Advocates said the patchwork of support is not doing much to help families struggling with cost and access.

Dozens of centers took part in the "Day Without Child Care" events, with some halting services Monday and others today.

Justine Olson, a health care worker in the Duluth area, said securing care for her 7-month-old son has been a struggle. Her site is one that briefly closed and she hopes people realize how much of a problem it is for working households.

"I can only dole out so many thousands (of dollars) each month, and child care is obviously one of those thousands," Olson pointed out. "It's kind of a Catch 22 right now. You want to go to work, but also, you can't bring your kid to work."

Responding to the crisis is seen as a bipartisan issue and states like Minnesota have invested funding to help close gaps. But advocates said concerns like low wages for child care workers continue to keep the service out of reach. Federal funding freezes under the Trump administration have further complicated the issue, as parents and centers monitor the fate of subsidies.

The coalition behind the Minnesota events acknowledged the state Legislature is looking to hold the line on spending this session.

Lydia Boerboom, lead organizer for the Kids Count on Us coalition, said it cannot be just about avoiding budget cuts but rather, finding some room to boost aid, so a vital resource does not collapse.

"Child care is not just something that is nice to have," Boerboom asserted. "It's actually a really critical service and need for all of our families, our economy."

She added at least six child care centers in Minnesota were forced to close in the past year.

Even with the challenge getting more attention in recent years, Olson feels the strain the child care sector is under still is not "top-of-mind" among policymakers or the public.

"I think it should be viewed more as like a service to our country," Olson suggested. "Kind of like the Postal Service or the police force. They're not really expected to make money, they're expected to make our society functional."


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, established by the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, provides free, confidential support to individuals in mental health crises. (Pixabay)

Health and Wellness

play sound

As Mississippi grapples with a growing mental health crisis, state and local leaders are being urged to prioritize diversion programs and crisis care …


Social Issues

play sound

Legislation in Virginia would prohibit any systematic removals of people from voter rolls at least 90 days before an election. Last August, …

Environment

play sound

Federal rules meant to better control harmful methane emissions will not take effect since Congress and President Donald Trump have intervened but the…


The U.S. Department of Education currently manages student loans for more than 40 million borrowers. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

Student loans are among the areas overseen by the U.S. Department of Education and since President Donald Trump has followed through on his threat to …

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Mark Gordon has just a few days left to make final decisions on bills passed during the Wyoming legislative session. Both fair election …

As part of the Trump administration's budget-cutting moves, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has eliminated $1 billion in programs connecting local producers with food banks and school lunch programs. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

South Dakota farmers leading the "locally grown" movement have visions of a dynamic regional food production system but some of it is in doubt with lo…

Health and Wellness

play sound

This week, workers who provide in-home and nursing home care rallied against cuts to Medicaid. Washington's Medicaid, known as Apple Health…

Environment

play sound

A coalition of conservationists and tribal nations is pushing for support of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative by state officials in Olympia…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021