Great Falls is continuing to experience a shortage of childcare providers; a childcare assessment by the Great Falls Development Alliance in 2021 estimated a need for an additional 580 childcare slots.
Seeing a demand for childcare in the community, Desiree Vinson opened Gibson Grove Preschool and Child Care in 2022.
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Last fall, Gibson Grove opened a second location, now providing care to 30 children per day. Still, their waitlist remains long. Vinson explains, “I think we have probably at least 20 families, and it just keeps getting longer. It just seems like there are a lot of people looking for child care right now.”
The childcare shortage extends throughout the state, The Montana Department of Labor and Industry reports that licensed childcare capacity only meets 44% of demand statewide.
Even when a family does find a provider, cost is another factor. The average cost for one child in full time daycare is nearly $12,000 per year, more than in state college tuition. Family Connections is one organization that helps with child care expenses.
Family Connections director Kim Stull says,”For some families, it can be more than their rent. It's a huge burden on families.”
They offer the Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship to help low income families cover the cost of child care. They also offer free child care provider referrals to families in search of care, and have seen first hand the demand within the city.
Stull says, “There's some deserts for child care in Great Falls. What we particularly see is a need for infant care. There's just simply not enough of it, as well as what we would call ‘odd hour’ care, those hours that extend beyond 5 p.m. or even overnight care.”
In an effort to bring more providers to Great Falls, the Great Falls Development Alliance is working on an updated assessment for childcare, to show potential providers that there is a demand in Great Falls.
For more information about finding and paying for childcare, click here to visit Family Connections; or click here to visit Raise Montana.
(MAY 14, 2025) The Great Falls Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel of community leaders and organizations regarding the state of the city. One topic at the meeting was the city’s workforce shortage, stemming partially from a lack of childcare within the community.
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The Great Falls Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel of community leaders and organizations regarding the state of the city. A big topic at that meeting was the city’s workforce shortage, stemming partially from a lack of childcare within the community.
During the panel, the Great Falls Development Alliance discussed recent grant funding that will cover an updated assessment of childcare in the community, and the need for additional childcare slots. The last study was completed in 2021, and showed a shortfall of 580 childcare slots.
Jenn Gallmeier, Vice President of Investment at the Great Falls Development Alliance, explains, “We take that data, and we can then prove the demand in our market and we can go to existing child care providers, ask them if they're interested in expanding, because we can prove the demand.”
The results of the study will be used to show a demonstrated need for childcare and bring more providers to the community, entice current providers to expand their services, and persuade entrepreneurs to open up new daycares.
The GFDA hopes that by filling the need for childcare, more employees will be able to return to work, helping with the current workforce shortage. Gallmeier says, “It's just kind of like a trickle effect, if they don't have anywhere to take their kid during the day, then they can't leave the kid alone and go to work.”
The childcare shortage stems beyond just Great Falls. In Fort Benton, Brett and Celeste Pike own a cleaning business together called 3 Suns Cleaning Services. Since their previous daycare closed, they have struggled to find stable childcare for their young children, forcing one parent to stay home, slowing business.
Brett Pike explains, “There's a big struggle in our community for it. My wife and I have to swap on who's working, instead of both of us working in different shifts for different clients and bettering that income.”
The childcare shortage expands statewide. The Montana Department of Labor & Industry reported that in 2023, licensed childcare met only 44% of demand in the state.
For more information about finding and paying for childcare, click here to visit Family Connections; or click here to visit Raise Montana.
