I didn’t grow up in rural Iowa, but I’ve lived here (and written about it) for 12 years, which has given me a ringside seat to its successes and struggles. Lately, I’ve felt overwhelmed by the number and magnitude of the problems facing our communities. They seem insurmountable.
This week that feeling is larger-than-life. Today I published two stories: one about our community’s only day care center closing, and the other about our local hospital ceasing delivery of babies.
After 38 yrs, the day care can’t make ends meet. This will make it harder to find safe, reliable child care in our county, which is classified as a “child care desert.” Parents who can’t find child care can’t go to work. Lost wages, lost productivity. timescitizen.com/news/iowa-fall…
Our hospital, which the community raised $30M to build anew in 2014, can’t deliver babies because 1) it can’t find docs who will do rural OB, and 2) reimbursement for Medicaid patients (>50% of the deliveries here) doesn’t cover the hospital’s costs. timescitizen.com/news/hfh-will-…
Our editorial board last month: “Future children can’t afford to be born here, their parents can’t afford day care services here on the prevailing wage, and the schools are sending kids door-to-door to raise money for needed school supplies.” timescitizen.com/opinion/editor…
Many problems go back to population changes. Fewer people = fewer students and stagnant property values, which = less money for local schools and government, which = aging infrastructure & housing. And who wants to live & work in a place like that? And so on and so on.
I have met dozens of smart, talented people who are clawing and fighting to make our rural communities a success, but if feels like an uphill battle. If they aren’t discouraged by local curmudgeons, they run into a wall when they reach out to state/local gov’t for help.
I don’t know where I’m going with this, but isn't void-screaming what Twitter's for? It’s frustrating as shit to watch this. How can low-income families work without child care? How can women who lack the resources travel an hour to see a doc/have a baby? How can we help them?
And (selfishly) how does rural news fit into this? It’s HARD to find talented reporters willing to live and work here. But we need them – to become a part of the community, to tell its stories, to get those stories out beyond our communities as a call for help. To be a beacon.
What's the answer? For our communities? For rural news? Collaboration seems like the best bet. But it's hard to think and plan and reach out when you're treading out here, just trying to keep your head above water.
