May 6—GRAFTON, N.D. — Three banks have donated funds to the Walsh County Job Development Authority's child care center project and have been matched by the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) system, totaling $92,000, a press release said.
First United Bank, Choice Bank and Bremer Bank are all members of the FHLB system and applied for a three-to-one matching FHLB Member Impact Fund, the release said. The fund matched up to three dollars for every one dollar donated. First United Bank donated $10,000, which FHLB matched at $30,000; Choice Bank donated $8,000, which FHLB matched at $24,000; and Bremer Bank donated $5,000, which FHLB matched at $15,000.
"These contributions will have an immeasurable impact on this important project," said Julie Gemmill, chairwoman for the Walsh County JDA. "The availability of quality child care is a major barrier to workforce recruitment and retention and overall quality of life. We sincerely appreciate the generosity of these banks and appreciate them seizing the opportunity to apply for the FHLB Member Impact Fund."
The funds will go toward construction and will partially be used as a match for a regional workforce impact program grant, which is expected to help cover costs for a new air handling system in the building the Walsh County JDA is renovating for a new child care center, the release said. The building, located in Grafton, was previously an office space.
The child care project
was created by the Walsh County JDA
to eliminate barriers to child care and increase workforce recruitment and retention, Stacie Sevigny, executive director of the JDA, said. It followed a business retention and expansion project by the Red River Regional Council in 2021 and a Region 4 child care survey from 2022. The former found a lack of child care and housing were two major barriers to workforce recruitment and retention, and the latter showed a majority of respondents said their work was impacted by child care arrangements falling through. The JDA also received support letters for the project, with people telling their own stories of how a lack of child care has impacted both employers and employees.
"One even had an employer talk about the fact that they have an employee driving their children 30 miles out of the way because that's where they could find an opening for child care," Sevigny said. "Our hope is that this project will alleviate some of that."