Greater Dubuque Child Care Analysis ReportCopyrighted
December 19, 2022
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 015.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: Greater Dubuque Child Care Analysis Report
SUMMARY: City Manager providing a copy of Greater Dubuque Development
Corporation's Greater Dubuque Child Care Analysis report.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Report Supporting Documentation
Greater Dubuque Child
Care Analysis
ARCHITECTURE
Greater
Dubuque
'-)troductior
In January 2022, Levi Architecture was tasked with
surveying businesses on behalf of the Greater Dubuque
Development Corporation and Dubuque Initiatives to assess
recruitment and retention barriers related to child care. The
child care crisis continues to gain attention, especially during
the pandemic. Businesses continue to see employment as
the most significant barrier to growth and financial stability.
Our team was able to interview 30 businesses in a wide
variety of industries, scales and perspectives throughout the
greater Dubuque area. Goals for the business surveys include
gathering information and interest in specific child care
services that may help alleviate employment barriers.
Complimenting the business survey, our team (in
collaboration with Child Care Resource & Referral) also
surveyed the existing provider industry in the greater
Dubuque area. Over 40 child care centers and over 60 child
development home were surveyed with 19 interviews
conducted. Our goal with provider engagement was to open
dialogue with the local providers, understand their barriers to
expansion and gather interest in potential partnerships.
The next step is to prioritize the barriers for both businesses
and providers. These prioritized barriers will be the targets
for a series of collaborative discussions with all stakeholders
to generate practical solutions that address broad initiatives
and specific, targeted opportunities.
LV I
ARCHITECTURE
Greater
Dubuque
DEVELOPMENT CORP.
Ruqiness Report
I n ea rly 2022, the Levi Arch itectu re tea m
interviewed 30 businesses within Dubuque
county. The interviews were intended to
discuss employee child care barriers and
gather feedback to determine needs and
possible solutions.
Participating Employers Average Number
of Employees
0
63%
19 employers
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0
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37% 2%
11 employers
0
a
E
aD
r
48%
15 employers
ARCHIIfCTURI
0
44%
13 employers
Greater
Dubuque
,�tVLLOPIMLNf C U Q
Business 1st shift
Start Tim Pq
Number of business and employees by start time
3:00 2 235 employees
AM
4:00
AM 2 250
5:00 3 250
�AM
1 AM 1 9324
7:00 3 765
AM
8:00 6 1298
AM
9:00
AM � 422
Percentages of business by shifts
21% 520 27%
1st & 2nd Shift-4 16 employers 8 employers
Fd
0
Greater
Dubuque
DEVELOPMENT CORP.
Number of Workers;
by Start Time
3:00 AM
8:00 AM
9.5%
7:00 AM
9.3%
3.6%
9:00 AM
1.4%
4:00 AM
2.7%
6:00 AM
73.5%
L IV
ARCHITECTURE
4
Greater
Dubuque
OEVELOPM ENT CORP.
Common Barriers
Relatirr, to Child Ca
Numbers represent amount of respondents for each barrier.
Overall Availability
26
Loss of Provider
10
ILI
Language
Barriers
3
Sick Care
15
Drop -In Care
11
Affordability
18
ARCfIIT�CTURE
Transportation
9
Greater
Dubuque
DEVELOPMENT CORI
Cc
any(
Work
Number of Businesses
IV
Ll v I
ARCHITECTURE
14
Greater
Dubuque
Companies IntereStE
in Learning More abo
Childcare Support
Companies Interested in
Partnering with Childcare
L-
Services
93%
M
0
n
7%
ARCHITECTURE
04
Greater
Dubuque
14
Rusi ness Summary
We learned of a surprising breadth of strategies businesses
are implementing to support employees and the recognition
of the role family dynamics play in the employment market.
Clearly, flexibility of the work environment is the number one
strategy utilized by businesses to retain and attract
employees. This flexibility includes altering first -shift start
times, part-time shifts, split shifts and work from home option
where possible. Businesses are being creative, unique and
specific with initiatives to suit their particular challenges and
available resources.
Three businesses shared their model of existing, on -site child
care service for employees. All three businesses expressed
the incredible value their child care services provide to
employees and their company culture. Several others were
exploring on -site care or a direct partnership with an existing
local provider. The overall need of availability was expressed
from employers. 26 employers (86%) reported a barrier of
overall availability of child care, and 13 employers (43%)
expressed the need for infant care.
All businesses see the need to support their employees and
families, and thus are interested in hearing more about
solutions or initiatives that will come from this study. Almost
all those entities surveyed were excited to explore some form
of solution with the Greater Dubuque Development and child
care providers that increases the overall capacity and
address the other areas of greatest need, ie "gap care"
(sick care, drop -in care, infant capacity, earlier start times).
Greater
Dubuque
DEVELOP MEN I
Child Care Feasibility
In the fall of 2021 the Levi Architecture team began
interviews with child care centers. In phase 1, we interviewed
five child care center directors. In early 2022 we followed up with
a survey to all 42 child care centers with a survey and then
additional interviews with 10 center directors.
Center Capacity
18 child care centers reporting
250
200
150
100
50
0
Al
A erage ap city: 12.33
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
11 of 18 centers track wait list
by age group.
Infant and School Age were
the areas of largest need
per interviews.
100
75
50
25
0
4,182: total children in the
Dubuque area
I A
2,220: children reached
through our surveys
Waitlist
Average waitlist is 25 children
Infant Toddler -Two Preschool School Age
L IV I
il,
Greater
nacflirfcruaf Dubuque
]EVELOPMENT CORP.
Child Care Feasibility
*MO
Do you offer drop in care?
Yes
No
Only if we have staff
to meet ratio
0 2 4 6 8
Do you offer sick care?
Yes
No
acity:
10
Extended hours
ARCHITICTURf
Greater
Dubuque
DEVELOPMENT CORP.
Child Care Feasibility
Are you planning to expand your
Currently or planning
to expand
No plans of
expansion
Possible planning
child care center?
0
2 4 6 8 10 12
Partnership
Are you interested in potential partnerships within the Greater Dubuque area with businesses?
18 responses
Yes
No MU2 (11.1%)
not sure 1 (5.6%)
I'm interested in more information I-1 (5.6%)
0 5 10
�14 (77.8%)
5
vi
ARCflIT�CTURE
Greater
Dubuque
DEVELOPMENT CORP.
Child Development
Home
n early 2022 the Levi Architecture team bega
interviews with Child Development Homes. V\
62 Child Development homes, 20 responded.
followed up with two zoom interviews. We wi
to utlilze our partnership with Child Care Resc
Referral to engage our Child Development Hc...___
Who we heard from
Number of children represented and Resondants total
Number of children represented 0 Resondants total
125
100
75
50
25
0
Category A Category B Category C1 Category C2
Category
V
LLV
ARCHITECTURE
04
Greater
Dubuque
.)LVLLOPMENT CUQi'.
Child I
7Days of
Which days of the we(
19 responses
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
0 5 10 15
Do you provide drop in care?
ARCHITfCTURf
Greater
Dubuque
DEVELOPMENT CORP.
:hild Care Provid(
Summary
We were encouraged by the quality of care available in the
greater Dubuque area. Providers are well-informed of the
challenges of the families they service and have a willing
attitude to support those families. The entire child care
industry in the area is struggling with workforce. We feel this
is the area of greatest need that the Greater Dubuque
Development and Dubuque Initiatives is uniquely positioned
to support.
Many providers have explored or were excited to explore
expansion of their total capacity and/or service type.
Specifically, we discussed the increase in capacity for infant
care, earlier start times, drop -in care and sick care. Providers
are open to expansion ideas but are lacking a financial model
that allow for such expansions. Several providers expressed
their immediate readiness to partner with the Greater
Dubuque Development and/or individual businesses.
V1
ARCHIIfCTURI
Greater
Dubuque
QEVELOPMEN
Report Summary
Our team is motivated by the elevated attention child care
is getting through Greater Dubuque Development, Dubuque
Initiatives and the Dubuque business community. Businesses are
exploring ways to support their employees. Local providers being a
strong group of collaborative professionals appear to be prime
partners for the business community. There are clear opportunities
for both groups to match resources and challenges with Greater
Dubuque Development and Dubuque Initiative being the bridge.
Next steps should include a small group of interested business
representatives and providers to lay out prioritized challenges and
opportunities to be the basis of solutions exploration. Both broadly
and narrowly focused solutions should be explored. An example
solution shared with those interviewed included a new facility which
multiple businesses could support specifically designed to address
location, "gap care", cost and hours of operation. This idea was well
received by businesses and providers.
Levi Architecture is grateful for the opportunity to provide the
Greater Dubuque Development, Dubuque Initiatives, the Dubuque
business community and the child care community with these survey
results. We look forward to continuing our work by generating pro
forma(s) for specific solution(s) to ensure their financial
sustainability.
V1
ARCHIIfCTURI
Greater
Dubuque
QEVELOPMEN