Otter Tail County honors child care providers, urges residents to say thanks

Otter Tail County is putting child care in the same category as the infrastructure that keeps the local economy moving. As the county prepares to recognize Child Care Provider Appreciation Day on May 8, commissioners are highlighting 125 licensed family child care providers, center teachers and early childhood caregivers who serve more than 1,300 children and families across the county.

The proclamation is aimed at more than gratitude. County leaders are framing child care as a working part of the county’s economy, one that helps parents stay in their jobs, gives local employers a more stable labor force and supports the daily routines that families in Fergus Falls and smaller towns alike depend on. In a county stretched across a wide rural geography, the county says dependable care is not a convenience. It is one of the supports that lets people work and businesses hire.

Commissioner Dan Bucholz said he understands how much it matters to have someone trusted caring for young children and praised providers for showing up with patience and dedication every day. County officials are urging residents to take a moment on May 8 to thank the providers, teachers and caregivers they rely on, noting that a kind word, a note or a simple thank-you can carry real weight for workers whose labor is often invisible unless a problem surfaces.

The annual observance falls on the Friday before Mother’s Day and was established in 1995 by the National Association for Family Child Care. Otter Tail County marked a similar proclamation in 2025 for 124 licensed family child care providers, so this year’s count reflects a slight increase to 125.

The recognition also sits inside a larger effort. Otter Tail County Human Services Department staff and a committee of the Community Development Agency Board developed a child care strategy focused on recruiting, retaining and developing providers and workers while building partnerships among providers, employers, agency partners and communities to improve access and quality. The county recently received a $160,000 Child Care Economic Development Grant tied to provider-support projects, underscoring that the issue reaches beyond family budgets into workforce planning and long-term growth.

Families looking for care can use the county’s interactive Child Care Locator web app to search for family child care providers near home or work. The tool includes contact and licensing information for providers who have agreed to be listed, but it does not include licensed child care centers, school-based preschools or community-based preschools. The county’s family resources page also points parents to Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families resources, Parent Aware, child care assistance information and licensing lookups.