Kalispell Chamber of Commerce Recognized for Child Care Initiative

After spearheading the Child Care Initiative last year as an effort to bring parents back into the workforce, staff with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce received an Outstanding Program Award for the initiative at the Western Association of Chamber Executives’ (WACE) annual conference this month in Sacramento.

Chamber President and CEO Lorraine Clarno was also elected 2023-2024 Chair of the Board of the WACE, an association made up of more than 800 members in 21 western states and two Canadian provinces.

Last year, Clarno and chamber staff launched a steering committee made up of business leaders, childcare providers and educators to help expand childcare accessibility in the Flathead Valley.

“It wouldn’t have happened without our sponsors and our 39 steering committee members – people from all spectrums of the community,” Clarno said. “The community made it happen.”

Of the 800 WACE members, only the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce had established a similar childcare program.

“Other chambers are talking about it, but not many have jumped in,” Clarno said. “We can share what we did in Kalispell and other chambers across the membership can take that model and customize it to their community,”

At the three-day WACE conference, Clarno and staff from the Kalispell chamber heard presentations from keynote speakers and attended breakout sessions where different members shared community programming models. Topics this year were focused on workforce, housing, homelessness and childcare.

Clarno said she learned that companies like Patagonia recently started providing childcare for their employees and data revealed an anticipated return of 110% to 130% on investment.

“Not only is there employee retention, but there was satisfaction and loyalty,” Clarno said.

Last year, a steering committee was established to brainstorm ways to expand childcare accessibility in phase one of the Child Care Initiative. Chamber officials collaborated with local childcare providers, business leaders, schools, nonprofits and Flathead Valley Community College to form solutions like scholarships, home-based childcare options, outreach and advocacy, and created a partnership to open a new facility.

Since it began, the chamber has worked with Immanuel Lutheran Communities, an assisted living facility in Kalispell, to open the Growing Roots Early Learning Center, a licensed childcare center that will accommodate 40 kids. The company opened the center as a benefit to its employees to help recruit and retain staff, which it has struggled to maintain in recent years.

Chamber staff have also helped the Birds Nest Early Learning Village in Kalispell to expand using grants and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Additional projects are also in the works, including programs with the Kalispell Public School District, Flathead Valley Community College, Light of Life Childcare and Gateway Community Center.

Now in phase two, the Kalispell chamber is in the process of contracting with a public relations firm to promote marketing and work on childcare career campaigns.

“Two primary things for the next six months are developing that pipeline for early education for kids in high school to make them aware of the career path and get them into direct internships with our centers,” Clarno said. “We’re trying to spark those passions.”