Wadena County is located in central Minnesota and has a population of almost 14,000. The predominant racial makeup of Wadena County residents is White (about 98%).

​

The community prides itself on its educational systems including strong support for school district referendums and two Community and Technical Colleges located within the county.  Health care and manufacturing are the two largest employers in Wadena County. Over 5% of businesses report that a lack of child care contributes to issues with employee recruitment and 37% of businesses feel that there is a shortage of child care in the community.

​

It is felt that additional child care programs that offer non-traditional hours for families working shift work or overnight, primarily for manufacturing and health care staff, would help meet some of the increased need for child care in Wadena County. Data gathered in early June 2019 indicates that Wadena County has a potential need for an additional 578 licensed child care slots for families with children under the age of 5 and all parents in the work force.