Montana has many wonderful things to offer families in regards to high quality, dependable childcare. As one of the largest U.S. States in land (147,046 square miles) with one of the smallest populations (956,257), Montana residents have many great options for caregivers for their young children. There are nearly 60,000 children under the age of 4, with 13,000 of those children living at or below the poverty level, and 81,000 children in total between the ages of 5 to 11. In total there are 999.969 families in the state of Montana, with 28,589 single parent families, and 17,961 families living in poverty.
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Almost 30,000 families in Montana have two parents who are both in the workforce and nearly 15,000 children with a single parent in the workforce, which leaves approximately 43,000 children in the state under the age of 6 who may potentially need childcare. There are also almost 8,000 working mothers with infants, over 15,000 with children under the age of 6 and nearly 70,000 working mothers (single and married) with children under the age of 18 in Montana as of 2011.
Currently there are 317 childcare centers in Montana, and 15% of those centers are nationally accredited, which is 5% higher than the national average. Additionally there are 925 Family Child Care (FCC) homes, with 4% of those homes being nationally accredited, which is 3% higher than the national average. Altogether there are 32,894 open slots for children who need childcare, 45% of those slots being open in childcare centers and 51% being in FCC homes, which is much higher than the national average of 19%.
The highest percentage of child care requests, at 57%, are for before and after school child care, followed by infant and toddler care and school aged child care. 83% of all child care requests are for full-time care, with the remaining 17% being for part-time care. 14% of all child care requests are for non-traditional hours, such as over-night, early morning and late evening care.
Montana is one of the most exciting states to live in for children. It has a rich history and many different cultural influences, as well as hundreds of fun and educational tourist attractions, such as the site of Custer’s last stand, Yellowstone National Park, and The Grizzly Discovery Center to name but a few. Additionally, because of Montana’s smaller population density, children have more one on one time with caregivers, and are less likely to fall between the cracks and be left behind academically.
