BIG SKY — A long-awaited childcare option is now available for Big Sky families. Gallatin River Childcare cut the ribbon Wednesday on its second location, aiming to fill what many call a childcare desert.
“This is pretty much a dream come true, it’s pretty awesome,” said Jackie Ng, director of Gallatin River Childcare. “We absolutely are in a childcare desert, and we have all come to realize nationally how crucial it is to have quality childcare for your children.”
The nonprofit first opened in Gallatin Gateway last year. Now, with the help of the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, it has expanded to Big Sky.
“In a service-based resort community, we recognize that our families need care differently than a lot of other places,”
According to Indeed, the average wage for caregivers in Montana is just under $19 an hour. Wolfe said the foundation purchased the Big Sky building outright, eliminating overhead costs like rent and utilities. That means tuition fees can go directly to teacher pay.
“No cost rent, no cost utilities,” Wolfe said. “What that allows them to do is use all of the fees that the parents pay to directly support teacher wages, so they can pay good wages and have quality teachers taking care of the children.”
The new center will follow a Reggio-inspired, hands-on learning model with a four-to-one student-teacher ratio.
For parents like Jen Jen Ford, the opening is life changing. Ford commutes from Gallatin Gateway to Big Sky for her job recruiting food and beverage employees at the Yellowstone Club.
“The fact I have a place that I can take my son to, that I don’t have to think about, he’s happy, he’s spoiled, and he’s loved, that makes me a better employee,” Ford said.
She added that the new facility helps attract new workers.
“When we have really talented individuals that want to work in this community, I can let them know, ‘Hey, I see that you have a family—this is what we can provide and help you,’” Ford said.
Community leaders hope the new center will do more than meet immediate needs.
WATCH: Grand opening of Gallatin River Childcare in Big Sky
“For the young people in our community that are thinking about families down the road, seeing themselves here long term as community members in Big Sky — this facility really represents that,” Wolfe said.
The center is open to the public and can accommodate up to 24 children, from six weeks to three years old.
To find out more information: https://www.gallatinriverchildcare.com/
