MSU President's Newspaper Column
August 3, 2024
Serving the needs of families and children while impacting the workforce needs of the state
The Mayville State University Child Development Programs (MSU CDP) offers a holistic approach to supporting the educational and familial needs of the university community and beyond through workforce infrastructure and childcare services. The CDP serves 270 families in Walsh, Nelson, Grand Forks, Griggs, Steele, Traill, and Cass counties in North Dakota and fills a crucial gap in accessible childcare and education, benefitting the wider community.
CDP administration collaborates with local and state partners to foster innovative solutions and improved outcomes for children and families. Partnering with agencies like North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, MSU CDP is at the forefront of enhancing early education quality and workforce development in North Dakota.
By integrating childcare with Head Start and Early Head Start programs, the CDP facilitates workforce engagement for parents, fostering productivity and retention in the workforce. Children receive vital early education, supporting their cognitive and emotional growth from infancy to preschool.
MSU CDP is the only university campus in the state to offer childcare, Head Start, and Early Head Start programs. Why does this partnership make sense for Mayville State? The program supports success for Mayville State students who need care for their children while pursuing their academic goals. In addition, the CDP provides valuable in-person experience in the form of employment and internships for students who are aspiring educators. This contributes to a skilled early childhood workforce.
The MSU CDP leadership team and Mayville State University administration are committed to addressing the important issue of maintaining competitive salaries for CDP teaching staff in all program locations. For the past year, they have worked diligently to address the need to hire additional teaching staff. Because it has become increasingly difficult to do so, Head Start and Early Head Start programs have become under-enrolled. The challenge of hiring teaching staff is directly related to the ability to provide competitive salaries.
When efforts to change marketing and advertising directed at prospective employees were not successful, bold steps to reduce the number of classroom slots offered were evaluated and ultimately taken. This adjustment paved the way for bringing wages to the most competitive market rate possible.
The CDP leadership team, supported by Policy Council and its Executive Board, the MSU President’s Cabinet, submitted a Change in Scope application to the Office of Head Start early in March of 2024. This application proposed a reduction of eight Head Start Preschool, eight Early Head Start, and 35 childcare slots across Grand Forks and Traill counties. These slots were vacant, and the move had no negative impact on employees or program participants.
Now approved, these changes enable Mayville State University and CDP leadership to restructure the workload distribution throughout CDP and address the needs of classrooms while supporting opportunities for healthy, sustainable, and equitable career growth. These positive changes were supported by the CDP Policy Council and Executive Board (President’s Cabinet).
The changes have resulted in the ability to provide salary increases to full-time benefitted CDP employees, as well as to part-time CDP employees, bringing salaries to competitive regional market levels. The total increases for full-time teaching staff exceed $1.3 million annually, with an average increase of 15% per full-time employee across the board.
Program success and high-quality service were at the forefront of this Change in Scope application process. With these positive changes, the CDP continues to provide outstanding early education and care throughout our communities while supporting workforce needs in the state of North Dakota. Mayville State University is a leader in the field of early childhood, and we are proud to serve families in the region while impacting the workforce needs of the state.
To learn more about employment at MSU CDP or services available for families, call 701-788-4868 or email msucdp@mayvillestate.edu.