ROCHELLE — Rochelle Mayor John Bearrows said this week that the city, with the help of Rochelle Township High School District #212, is endeavoring to utilize part of May School as a possible daycare facility. 

The city has been without a daycare facility for months since Kishwaukee Family YMCA Child Care Center at 1010 N. 15th St. closed, while the school district made the decision this year to close May School due to declining enrollment.

Rochelle officials have made attempts to purchase YMCA property, but no agreements could be reached. Bearrows said the city has already been in contact with a possible director if the May School operation comes to fruition and pointed out the city would not be buying May School as part of the proposed venture.

“We started many months ago when the daycare center closed,” Bearrows said. “We’ve made great progress. We have some financial commitments. We’re working with the school district to utilize the front part of May school to use as a daycare. It’s not ideal. We’ve jumped a lot of hurdles. We’re just trying to help financially. We’re doing the legwork.” 

Bearrows said the city doesn’t want to be in the daycare business, but sees the need for it in town. He wants the rates to be reasonable and said the potential director has said if the need is there, they would be willing to offer third shift care as well as during normal hours. 

The director would hire employees and pay them. Bearrows said the city would try to assist with “carrying costs” and provide community development money. 

“Because that’s what this is, community development,” Bearrows said. “The people who ask about bringing businesses here, daycare availability is one of their first questions. Not having a daycare is not acceptable. It’s a piece of the workforce issue that we’re dealing with and the rest of the country is dealing with.”

Bearrows said after negotiations with the YMCA about the building fell through, he talked with School District Superintendent Jason Harper about May School as an option. Attempts to reach Harper for comment about what would have to happen for the building to be utilized as a daycare were not successful by time of publication. 

Bearrows said the daycare could be open by October or November if the idea pans out. The licensing process for a daycare center is “extremely long,” Bearrows said, especially for facilities that care for infants and older, which the potential May School operation would. 

There are things at May School that would have to be done to get it to fall within daycare regulations, Bearrows said. That’s on a long list of steps that the city is mid-way through on trying to bring a daycare back to town. 

“It’s been tough,” Bearrows said. “Like pushing a log chain. But we hope to get it done.” 

Part of the attempt to get a daycare is due to workforce issues that are nationwide and local. Bearrows said there are currently 300 jobs open in town. 

“Folks are still getting things like unemployment, but they can’t afford to go back to work without daycare,” Bearrows said. “It’s better financially for them to stay home. But we have to get these jobs filled.”

The city is making other attempts to curb the workforce problem. It’s looking at a potential bus route to get people with transportation issues to and from work. A city-wide job fair is planned for late August. 

“We plan to have tables, food and some light music,” Bearrows said. “We want to make it fun. We want people to have their next job and their future. There’s a lot available. We’re still in the planning phase. I believe it will happen. We will give folks every opportunity to see what our employers offer.”