From an economic development standpoint, the age 0-5 child care capacity issue is a barrier for businesses looking to maintain and hire staff.  From the parent’s position, it is the tough decisions that all too often result in one of them leaving the workforce.  From a community perspective, child care is a necessity to attract and keep young families in the area.  This long-time issue of capacity constraints was made more apparent by the pandemic, resulting in public awareness and the dire need to find a solution to keep our rural community thriving.

As these concerns grew, a solid team of diversified individuals with a vast array of experiences and expertise such as:

• business owners/managers;
• early childhood development professionals;
• local government employees;
• current child care providers;
• school administrators and teachers;
• financial experts;
• legal counsel;
• representatives and board members from Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership, Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, Sherman County Community Foundation; and
• parents, grandparents, and invested community members,

joined together with a common goal and vision to provide quality childcare in a safe environment with caring staff, an engaging atmosphere, and educational opportunities to all families in Sherman County.

Since this initial collaboration, our team has successfully formed a non-profit 501(c)3 “Sherman County Sprouts, Inc” to oversee the development of a childcare center.  In order to understand the true needs of our community, a survey was conducted by Communities for Kids throughout Sherman County in June of 2022 with 197 respondents.

Following the results of the survey, which identified a large need for additional childcare services and the support to provide a center-based program, a building in downtown Loup City (previously housing the Sherman County Preservation Coalition After School Program), became available for sale. Cognizant of the need, the Sherman County Board of Commissioners assisted our efforts by allocating a portion of their ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds used to assist with the purchase of the building and adjoining lot. The property was then gifted to Sherman County Economic Development to renovate the existing 3,000 square foot building into a childcare facility. The purchase also included room for expansion within the adjacent lot south of the building.

Our Mission is to ensure quality childcare is available to all families in Sherman County.  Nurturing children’s growth in a safe environment with caring staff, an engaging atmosphere, and ample educational opportunities.

Sprouts Board & Center Director at Ribbon Cutting July 12th: (pictured from left to right) Melissa Dush, Clayton Suckstorf, Deb Obermiller, Madeline Ummel (Center Director), Stephanie Friesen, Sasha Habe, Dean Tickle.

1. A focus on addressing childcare capacity constraints to positively impact our communities, and bolster our local economy.
2. Invest in the future of Sherman County by improving opportunities for children and families to grow and thrive. Ensuring the next generation has access to high-quality early childhood educational opportunities.
3. Create a sustainable child care option that Sherman County families can count on.
4. Collaborate with local entities, educational programs, and early childhood care providers to increase access to quality early care and educational opportunities.
5. Provide support, resources, and funding to early childhood care providers in our area.
6. Provide opportunities to enhance the local workforce and keep young families in the area.