HERMISTON, Ore.-Celebrated annually on the Friday before Mother’s Day, National Childcare Provider Day was May 8 this year.
Organized by volunteers with the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) in 1995 and first celebrated in 1996, Provider Appreciation Day is now celebrated around the world, in honor daycare center staff, home-based caregivers, nannies, live-in providers, and other childcare professionals.
Childcare providers support the safety, well-being, education, and development of children through non-residential childcare services, including center-based, family-based, and in-home childcare services.
As of 2024, there were 1,399 licensed childcare centers, and an additional 2,420 licensed childcare homes in Oregon, staffed by 4,932 licensed childcare providers, according to Child Care Aware.
At the Good Shepherd Children’s Center in Hermiston, Director/Manager Lynn Gutierrez and a staff of 40 childcare professionals provide subsidized childcare for Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) employees.
Gutierrez, who left corporate America to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher when her son was born, has now been in early childhood education for 25 years, with 21 of those spent with Good Shepherd.
“Being able to be part of children’s lives for their first five years is a true blessing,” said Gutierrez, who acknowledges the challenges of finding team members with a heart to work with children, and the cost of childcare.
The cost of childcare can be prohibitive for many, with an average annual cost of $19,500 per child for center-based care, about 47 percent of a single-parent family income, according to the First Five Years Fund.
“The need for quality childcare is a concern across the nation,” said Gutierrez, highlighting the impact of GSHCS offering free childcare for its employees. “The problem is that if childcare providers were paid accordingly, most people could not afford it.”
As of 2024, childcare benefits, including full or partial reimbursement of childcare costs for employees, were available to only about 35 percent of private industry hospital workers in America, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Childcare licensing and regulations
Federal law requires states to set and enforce childcare licensing requirements to ensure the health and safety of children. Minimum health and safety requirements include background checks, staff qualifications and required training, as well as routine monitoring and inspections of childcare facilities.
The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care’s (DELC) Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) is responsible for licensing most regulated childcare programs in the state, requiring safety measures, as well as 15 hours of Early Childhood Education for providers each year.
Childcare providers at the Good Shepherd Children’s Center go beyond the Oregon State requirement, obtaining a minimum of 25 hours of early childhood education each year.
“We are teachers,” said Gutierrez. “We are here to help get these young children ready for their adventure in ‘big school’ and life. We care deeply about ‘our kids.’ We are not here to fill in for their parents but to help be a part of their village.”
Oregon DELC also visits the Good Shepherd Children’s Center a minimum of twice a year, once for license renewal, and another unannounced visit to ensure compliance with state regulations.
According to Gutierrez, Good Shepherd Children’s Center staff must also be current with the Central Background Registry (CBR) and have valid CPR/First Aid and food handler’s cards.
Good Shepherd Children’s Center expansion
A recent $4 million expansion project increased the Good Shepherd Children’s Center from 6,000 to 15,000 square feet, allowing Gutierrez and her staff to provide childcare for even more GSHCS employees.
After the expansion, the Good Shepherd Children’s Center will be able to care for 164 children between the ages of six weeks and six-years-old daily, up from 66 at the original facility.
According to Gutierrez, with the current and expanded space, the Children’s Center includes 15 classrooms, two small staff/education rooms, a commercial kitchen, gym, newly reconstructed and upgraded infant/toddler playground, and the center plans to reconstruct and upgrade its preschool playground soon.
“We are blessed that Good Shepherd Health Care System recognizes the need for quality care for its employees’ children and has offered childcare on site since 1995,” said Gutierrez.
