DICKINSON - Overwhelmingly, internet searches offer limited results for childcare options in rural areas of North Dakota. Families with young children are increasingly turning to creative options, and some centers are working hard to keep their rates low in the face of data that shows childcare often outpacing the cost of either rent or college tuition. Some families begin homeschooling, a choice documented by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) and one faith-based school in the region says families are enrolling their children as part of their search for affordable options and low student-to-teacher ratios.
For childcare in New England, a source says they are the only licensed daycare in the town. In Richardton, groundbreaking occurred last fall for a center . In Hebron, even though internet searches reveal a few options, the number for a choice many families are familiar with has been disconnected. At Bearcat Den Daycare in Hebron, the current director says spaces are available and a tiered rate system for families is available in an effort to keep their services affordable.
“Our rates are $43.50 for the first child, and $40.50 for the second,” said the current director. “We charge $2 extra for infants.”
The director said the extra charge for infants is due to licensing regulations. The ratio is based on the age group of children, and lowering the ratio is necessary because infants require more care. Licensing also determines whether a space is a community or a group daycare. Bearcat Den Daycare serves children ages six weeks to eleven years old and has been open since 2021. The director says interested families are welcome to schedule a tour.
“You’re more than welcome to call for more information,” said the director, who has been in the position since July 2024. “We know how difficult it is to find childcare that’s affordable. We have great staff who love what they do, and as a daycare, we’re doing really well.”
As a different option, some families are choosing to home school their children. According to data from NDDPI, 24 students in Hebron and 23 students in New England are receiving education at home. Some families choose to homeschool for either religious reasons or the ability to customize students’ opportunities for learning and competition. Five homeschool groups in the region are listed on the North Dakota Home School Association’s (NDHSA) website, with two active in the Dickinson area. One group, named the Dickinson Area Christian Home Educators (DACHE), is affiliated with the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and their group requirements on HSLDA’s network page are categorized as exclusively religious. DACHE’s Facebook page says the organization’s purpose is to “support Christian homeschool moms (and dads) by providing Godly encouragement and information” and continues with the group’s statement of faith. Another group has a Facebook page named ‘SWND Homeschoolers’ and offers “a way for families living in Southwest North Dakota,that are currently homeschooling, to connect with things going on in the community, post homeschooling content/curriculum, and ask questions in regard to homeschool related issues.”
In Dickinson, families have other choices for alternative education as well. With Grasslands Montessori , which has been open for over ten years now, and Invitation Hill Adventist Academy, parents can choose between many aspects of education.
“Not all of the students at Invitation Hill Adventist Academy are from the church,” said Janna Wright, the head teacher at the school. “Families are looking for smaller class sizes with lower student-to-teacher ratios.”
Invitation Hill Adventist Academy serves students kindergarten through eighth grade and currently has under twenty students total. Tuition at the school is currently $325 per student per month, with a discounted registration fee for families who register before June 15 for the upcoming school year. Wright said the school initially formed during the oil boom when parents were looking for additional options for education. An Adventist school existed in Dickinson previously, closing in the 1980s, and the current school opened in 2015. Wright said the school offers an academic foundation while also remaining faith-based.
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“We focus a lot on character,” said Wright, who holds a bachelor’s in science degree in Elementary Education, an endorsement in Instrumental Music Education, and a masters degree in multiage/multigrade education from Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, TN.
Ms. Betty Hay, the teacher for kindergarten through second grade, said math and reading are the two main priorities for students at Invitation Hill. Hay said the curriculum also includes music and regular opportunities for students to perform during church services and shared her method for teaching the multiplication table in a musical format.
“By the end of kindergarten, they know their multiples,” said Hay.
In all forms of education, community organization and creative forms of fundraising are dynamic aspects of keeping options available. According to Wright, both donors and a big portion of the church budget help to cover the cost of students’ education in addition to tuition. In 2017, one student even took it upon themselves to help raise money for playground equipment at the school by starting his own ‘rock selling business.’
“I go around my house looking for rocks and around the blocks and I get a lot of money and I bring it to school to get playground equipment,” said Jacob Reiss.
“He’d walk up and down the street in his neighborhood selling rocks to neighbors,” Wright said. “He told people, ‘this is for our playground,’ and then people got involved. The first time he brought in money to donate to the fund, he had a total of $13.13.”
For more information about these options for childcare and alternative education, reach out to the North Dakota Homeschool Association at https://ndhsa.org/ , Bearcat Den Daycare at (701) 878-9900, or Invitation Hill Adventist Academy at (701) 483-2050.
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