The Reno City Council unanimously voted to move forward with a new ordinance designed to remove barriers to child care.
The Reno City Council voted unanimously to take the next step with an ordinance aimed at removing barriers to child care.
Council members approved a first reading on Wednesday afternoon at Reno City Hall, with a second reading and possible adoption set for January.
There were no changes made to the current ordinance after the presentation.
Affordable child care is an issue many have faced across the nation, especially here in the Silver State.
"A lot of people know that when you are about to have a kid, you usually have to get on a waitlist for months and months and months," said Grace Mackedon, Senior Management Analyst, City of Reno. "It costs more to send an infant to infant care than it would to send a kid to university in either the University of Nevada, Reno or UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)."
During Mackedon's presentation, she shared some statistics people in Nevada who are trying to provide child care are dealing with.
According to her, about 72 percent of Nevadans live in a child care desert. Which means there are more kids than there are daycare slots.
She claims Nevada experienced a 55 percent decline in child care from 2018 to 2024. She also said that Nevada is the eighth least affordable state for infant care.
Back in July, Mackedon was directed to start looking at ways to remove barriers.
"We recognized that we were charging an additional fee and requiring providers to go through an additional process to open a provider," Mackedon said. "So, we reduced and removed those barriers for, specifically in-home child care and workplace childcare. And then we made it a little bit easier for child care centers."
There are three child care uses. One is in-home child care, which typically fits five to 12 children. The next is workplace child care, which is a part of the business.
The last is the biggest, which is are child care centers.
The barriers mainly centered around permits. For in-home and workplace, a minor conditional use permit is needed. That permit costs $4,363.75 and takes 30 days to be approved.
The child care centers need a conditional use permit. That takes 65 days, and the costs are $4,992.75.
The ordinance would remove the permit requirements for the in-home and workplace providers. The centers would simply be required to get a minor conditional use permit.
There are development standards for all three. That includes parents needing pickup and drop-off plans. Outdoor lighting must be limited, and the facility needs a six-foot-tall fence when in residential areas. Outdoor play hours must also be restricted.
If the Reno City Council does pass the ordinance, it would go into effect almost immediately, but the city is just one piece in a very large puzzle.
"We're hopeful that other agencies may follow suit and make it easier for providers and maybe what their scope is," Mackedon said. "We're also working with the Children's Cabinet to create a pamphlet on how to open up a child care facility. And so, this is really just the first drop in the bucket."
There wasn't much debate from the council before they voted to move it forward.
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