For many parents, the search for childcare begins before the child is even born.

“Back when I first had my daughter, I had to start calling pretty much the time that I found out I was pregnant. At that point, it was very last minute I found something,” said mother-of-two Virginia Crecelies.

Crecelies quit teaching after she had her second child and started subbing 1-2 days a week. Her mother watched the kids part-time but then moved away in March. Crecelies has been looking for childcare ever since then, struggling to find part-time care.

“I went on the county website and just found all the in-home daycares and started calling. Everywhere I called either didn’t have any spots and their wait list was pretty full or they didn’t take wait lists and it was kind of a first come, first serve basis for when they have openings,” said Crecelies.

Mike Dilley has care now but struggled to find it when his son was born almost two years ago.

“I drove around child care place to child care place, trying to find out who would take an infant,” said Dilley. “The costs for an infant were, it was $450 just to have an application in and have a waiting spot and not being guaranteed anything right away, and that was the biggest problem.”

Desperate to find a spot, Mike started a Facebook page called Childcare Resources Duluth/Superior. With over a thousand members, the group has helped many families find childcare. Parents can post asking for help finding spots, and childcare facilities can post about openings. The page has had an influx of posts recently due to multiple childcare facilities closing this fall.

Although the group is helping families find childcare, there are only so many spots. This issue is heightened for those looking for part-time care as full-time is often given priority. For some families, not having childcare means that one parent has to stay home instead of working. This impacts industries already struggling to retain workers.

“Right now, I’m not able to work. I’m not able to go sub. Schools are also really hurting for substitutes. I want to be able to help teachers out in that way and give them a break to have a day off where to go get things done. Right now it’s just not a possibility,” said Crecelies.