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Steamboat Springs — First Impressions of Routt County is offering as much as $750 in reimbursement and free advice to new child care providers in Steamboat Springs in an effort to create 20 new home businesses in the next year.

Stephanie Howle, of First Impressions, said Routt County now has 20 licensed providers for children younger than 2 years old, but long waiting lists mean the city could use 75 additional providers.

To entice new providers to open their doors, First Impressions is beginning a recruitment campaign that will provide as much as $750 in reimbursement for startup fees and free mentoring from the Child Care Network.

The biggest need, according to Howle and current providers, is for children younger than 2. Mixed-age care providers - the most common type of licenses - are limited to two children younger than 2, and First Impressions estimates another 150 infants still require care.

Jennifer Paoli has been operating her home-based child care center at her home in Steamboat II for about a week now, and she said she already has a waiting list of six children.

She said the waiting list is "especially for infants. That's the big one in this town."

In addition to the funds, First Impressions also provides mentors for the new business owners.

Sharon Butler, of the Child Care Network, contracts with First Impressions to provide assistance to new child care providers. Steamboat has a high need for new providers because the birth rate of the city is high, and families often need the double income from two working parents in order to afford the high cost of living, Butler said.

Butler also said it is unusual for her group to have a contract such as the one held with First Impressions.

"Typically, we wouldn't do this, but it's to help with the whole child care crisis we have right now," she said.

The cost for a day of child care ranges from about $38 to $60, Butler said. Every time a new mother calls her, asking for assistance in finding child care, she will ask the mother a series of questions to determine whether she might be interested in opening her home to child care.

As she started her business, Paoli said, she worked closely with First Impressions and appreciated the guidance.

"Just being there to offer advice was really great. If I had any questions, I knew I could call," she said. "That support meant a lot."

"Child care is a very tricky business," Howle said, adding that setting up the business can create hurdles of insurance, licenses and regulatory approval.

"They (the new providers) get the big licensing packet, and it just gets overwhelming," Howle said. "They already have a full life going on, and then to try to find the time to figure out all the rules and regulations for licensing can be very overwhelming, and they tend to put the packet off to the side and they don't complete it."

Kristen Haak, who runs a home-based child care center on AprÃs Ski Way, said the licenses were not difficult to obtain, despite the amount of paperwork required. Haak has between six and eight children at her house, ranging in age from 2 months to 5 years old, and her waiting list has more than 20 names.

"I'm encouraging my mother and sister to join (the business), too," she said.

Haak has been providing child care for about two and a half years. Although she did not receive assistance from First Impressions, she said she works with the Child Care Network.

Butler said the application fees and processing time to receive a new license vary with the type of license and number of people in the home, but it averages between $200 and $250 and takes as many as 90 days.

- To reach Zach Fridell, call 871-4208 or e-mail zfridell@steamboatpilot.com