C4K’s 100th Community: Greeley, Nebraska, Population 403

The C4K team in Greeley celebrates becoming the 100th partnering community

Inside the Greeley Volunteer Fire Department’s community room on September 1st, local residents gathered over pizza and salad from the town's grocery store to envision how they could work together to improve child care access in the community. When Communities for Kids program lead Rachel Sissel stepped up to introduce the C4K partnership, she looked around at the expectant crowd and beamed.

"Before we dive into the agenda, I actually have a special announcement," she said. "Tonight is an extra special night, because Greeley is C4K’s one hundredth community!"

And what a milestone it is. Small towns like Greeley coming together is exactly what C4K is all about: local leaders, businesses, schools, parents, and child care providers recognizing a challenge and stepping up to solve it together. Who would have thought we’d get to 100 communities in 9 short years of these special partnerships?

Among those driving the effort in Greeley is Jami Dutcher—an occupational therapist, mother of four, and local advocate who understands the area's child care shortage firsthand. She agreed to hang back with us after the meeting to talk about what’s happening in Greeley.

How did you get connected with C4K?

Jami: "I had just heard from a whole bunch of people saying, 'We can't have any more kids because we don't have daycare.' So I started going down a rabbit hole of, 'Okay, what are we going to do? How are we going to fix this?' I found Communities for Kids online and connected with Rachel. It's been a long journey, but I knew there was a problem that needed attention."

As the process unfolded, the issue became even more personal.

Jami: "I wasn't expecting my fourth child yet when I started this process. Then I found myself without child care for my own baby. It's a huge problem."

What does the child care challenge look like in Greeley?

Jami: "My sister-in-law waited nine months to get a daycare spot for her baby. Right now, we only have one licensed daycare and two unlicensed in-home providers, and both of those providers are beginning to phase out. It's a huge struggle."

What are you proud of in your community?

Jami: "There are a lot of young people here who are trying to make the community better. Greeley is the kind of place where generations of families stay connected, and a lot of people come back because they want to be here. We all want to make it the best community it can be."

What advice do you have for communities trying to get people to the table to address child care?

Jami: "I think it starts with talking about it and acknowledging that there's a problem. Sometimes people have a stigma about child care and think parents should just stay home. But it's more than that. The birth-to-five years are so important. In my job, I've seen how critical those years are in setting kids up for future success. I don't think people always realize how important quality child care is for children's development."

And community-led problem solving is nothing new in Greeley.

The pizza and salad served at the meeting came from the Greeley Country Market, a community-owned grocery store made possible by local determination. Jami reported that when the store's previous owner planned to sell, more than 35 local investors pooled their resources to buy it and keep fresh food in town. Today, the store remains locally managed and thriving.

"It's all community," Jami said.

Whether it's saving a grocery store or building sustainable child care solutions, the people of Greeley prove once again that small towns aren’t afraid to take on huge challenges.

C4K is proud to call Greeley our 100th community partner, and we can’t wait to see what they do next!