(Editor's note: This is just one part of a series of stories about local candidates in the upcoming June 2 primary, municipal and school board election. Find more coverage here.)
Simplified: Sioux Falls' childcare crisis is well-documented, including noting that it costs more in one year to send your kid to a childcare center in Sioux Falls than it would to send them to a South Dakota state university. With that in mind, we asked Sioux Falls City Council candidates their thoughts on the city's role in helping address these challenges.
Here's what we asked:
What role, if any, do you think the city should play in addressing the ongoing childcare crisis in Sioux Falls?
Here's how candidates responded (in reverse-alphabetical order):
Bob Trzynka
"We have like you said, a real childcare crisis in Sioux Falls," Trzynka said. "I'm hesitant to say that the city should get involved and actively participate in areas where we have private investment already. Certainly, there are things that the city can invest in in terms of like promoting or incentivizing people to open childcare centers, and so it can make it more affordable for people. But I don't necessarily think that the city itself should be getting in the business that could crowd out private actors."
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Zak Okuwe
Okuwe said he'd like to see the city bring back up conversations about a tri-share model (similar to what they tried in Rapid City)
"We have to continue having open dialogues and discussing this, but what we do need is a solution," Okuwe said.
Matthew McKinley
McKinley did not respond to multiple calls and emails requesting an interview.
Tommy Kunz
"With the childcare crisis, obviously, this is a thing that does stop people from having families," Kunz said. "I, myself, haven't really thought about wanting kids because of how expensive it is. I do want a kid, but there's no way I'm going to afford a kid. My friends that have kids – it's 100% paycheck-to-paycheck with them."
Kunz said he would be supportive of some sort of voucher program for preschool and generally supports city investments in addressing childcare needs.
Zach DeBoer
DeBoer said he'd need to do more research on the topic, but that he knows communities who invest in children see those benefits.
"I think that the affordability of daycare, pre-K, that sort of thing has become such a big issue for so many people, and if we wanna continue to attract, specifically young parents, a great way to do it is to be able to say, 'it's affordable to send kids to daycare or to pre-K," DeBoer said. "You can absolutely look at it as an economic growth tool."
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