By Trina Dennis Brittain
Rocket Miner
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

ROCK SPRINGS — Many families in Sweetwater County cannot afford quality early childhood services. The number of children and families living at and below poverty in Sweetwater County is quite high, as well.

During the Sweetwater County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, March 11, a Head Start Continuation Grant was approved by members of the board. The request for continued funding is for July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.

Trustee Stephanie Thompson pointed out some “alarming statistics” in a recent community assessment that identified the needs of children and families in Sweetwater County.

According to the assessment, 29% of children under the age of five are living in poverty in Sweetwater County.

“This is higher than the entire state of Wyoming and also in the United States,” said Thompson. “That is something that this community faces every day.”

The assessment also stated that there are nearly 3,000 children under five in Sweetwater County, but the total capacity of preschools, child care centers and family child care homes licensed by the Wyoming Department of Family Services is less than 1,000.

It added, “This qualifies Sweetwater County as a child care desert; defined as an area where child care is available to less than one out of every three children under the age of five.”

Thompson said, “That’s 2,000 kids that we’re missing every single year. It’s very concerning because these are kids who are coming in, and they may not even have any preschool at all.”

Based on the community assessment, 80.2% of all Sweetwater County Head Start families have at least one parent with a high school diploma, which is less than the Wyoming average of 90.9%.

“That’s something that the policy committee is trying to work on,” Thompson pointed out. “We’re trying to remove that stigma that if you didn’t obtain a high school diploma, it’s never too late. We all know how important it is to get a GED.”

She added, “It will help you get a better job, which will help you have better pay.”

The policy council continues to face these challenges every day at the Head Start Daycare and preschool center, said Thompson.

In the assessment survey, 65.2% said that child care costs were too high, 50% said that housing costs were too high, and 78.2% said there is a lack of jobs that pay a living wage and there is a lack of job skills.

Also, the median income for a single parent with children is just $21,404, making it nearly impossible for families to afford adequate food, housing, child care (child care for a 4-year-old in Wyoming costs $751 each month), especially with increased prices in 20 consumer goods due to inflation.

Of children under the age of 5 in Sweetwater County living in poverty, an estimated 67% live in Rock Springs while only 9% live in Green River.