217 Today: Parents struggle to find childcare in rural communities

The Stilwell Public Schools District opened the Stilwell Schools Day Care in late 2019 in an effort to try and recruit new teachers. It’s one of the only day care centers in the town of nearly 4,000.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Today’s headlines:

  • A plan to move hundreds of migrants into a former K-Mart on Chicago’s Southwest Side is getting pushback from local officials.
  • In February 2020, Visit Champaign County revealed Destination 2023 – a three-year plan to improve people’s experiences in Champaign County.
  • Black male leaders visited Urbana classrooms on Monday to read to elementary students.
  • Officials at the University of Illinois’ Krannert Art Museum said they are working to include a more diverse group of artists in their permanent exhibitions as many art institutes have done in recent years.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll take a closer look at the problems families face finding childcare in rural areas.

217 Today is produced by Sydney Wood. Reporting today contributed by Alex Degman, Sydney Wood, Emily Hays, Owen Henderson and Xcaret Nunez.

Sydney Wood