This is a paid piece from EmBe.
Simplified: A state grant will support a new, first-of-its-kind partnership between EmBe and the Harrisburg School District to provide in-school childcare that supports educators.
Why it matters
- Without childcare, teachers can't teach. In a 2024 EmBe survey of Harrisburg teachers, 90% of respondents cited access to quality childcare as a barrier to keeping their job – with at least one teacher noting they've considered leaving the profession because of childcare challenges.
- The new partnership – supported by a $218,000 Workforce Education Grant from the South Dakota Department of Education – will create a childcare center in Heritage Elementary School specifically to care for the children of school district employees.
- This partnership also creates opportunities for Harrisburg High School students in the Child Development Associate training program. Students will get hands-on experience working in early childhood education while earning credits and a credential for a high-need career path.
“This is more than a new childcare center—it’s a community solution that’s going to shift how we support educators,” EmBe CEO Kerri Tietgen said. “We’re creating a model that addresses the childcare gap, supports teacher retention, and trains the next generation of early childhood professionals—all in one.”
Tell me more about the partnership
EmBe will open a childcare center in Heritage Elementary School exclusively to provide a childcare solution for district employees.
There will be space for 100 kids, age 0-5, across five classrooms. EmBe will manage operations, professional development, and curriculum, ensuring the same high-quality, play-based programming it brings to other centers across the region.
This partnership will not only provide childcare for Harrisburg School District employees, but it will also create a new EmBe Education Learning Laboratory – a space where new EmBe team members and high school students will learn how to be the next generation of educators with the support of EmBe's curriculum team.
EmBe recognizes that teachers are the experts in their classrooms, and their EmBe Education team receive multiple supports including a structured curriculum framework, instructional coaching, regular observations and continuous professional development.
The new center will also tailor specifically to school district employee needs, meaning it'll be open on K-12 teacher work days only and won't need to account for summer, late nights, weekends or holidays.
What will this mean for students?
Harrisburg programming already has early childhood education classes as part of its Career and Technical Education programming, Superintendent Tim Graf said, and this partnership will further strengthen those courses.
"To be able to be trained by people in the business – hopefully that will spur some interest in people going into that (early childhood) work," Graf said. "We see it as a win-win in many areas."
What happens next?
This partnership shows how public-private partnerships can lead the way in addressing South Dakota's childcare crisis.
"This is a pivot point," Tietgen said. "What we're doing here isn't just serving teachers or students—it's building stronger schools, stronger families, and a stronger workforce."
EmBe will soon begin hiring staff for the new EmBe Heritage site, and job listings will be posted here.
