DETROIT (WXYZ) — In an effort to address Detroit’s daycare shortage, City Council recently approved changes to zoning laws that will make opening a childcare facility in a residential neighborhood easier and less expensive.
More than 37,000 children below the age of five need access to daycare while their parents are working.
Right now, there are 302 child care facilities in the whole city.
“When I was, actually had my children in childcare, my children had to go very far away for child care because,” said Elizabeth Gonzalez, a community organizer with Change of Communities. “We didn’t have child care here in the neighborhood.”
Elizabeth Gonzalez is with the non-profit organization Congress of Communities which helps empower residents especially the youth in south west Detroit.
Gonzalez says there are two small in-home daycares in southwest Detroit and that’s not enough.
“We have so many working families, single parents that are looking for childcare,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez says Congress of Communities saw the need for childcare and is planning on opening a child care facility near their headquarters right off Michigan Ave.
She added that the recently approved zoning changes will allow them to get things approved quicker and save money in fees.
“The process would have been a very long process and It would have been very difficult and we would of had to jump through hoops to get around it but now it’s a lot better with the zoning,” Gonzalez.
I spoke to Councilman Fred Durhal who says the zoning changes will allow group day cares to open up in residential communities throughout the city. It will also allow in-home daycares to expand.
“This ordinance is just aimed at increasing the amount of opportunity for parents who are looking for childcare,” said Durhal.
Durhal added there will still be regulations the daycares have to follow.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Gonzalez and the Congress of Communities team are looking forward to community members utilizing their child care facility.
“Transportation is an issue here so if they can walk their child to a child care facility right here in the neighborhood, it’s even better for them to be able to go to work or catch the bus,” she said.
