CEDAR RAPIDS - Flood water forced more than 1,500 children in Linn County from their daycare centers. Many are still in need of a place to go during the day. It happened following the 1997 flood in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Flood-affected families need child care again faster than damaged daycare centers can rebuild. A similar child care shortage is happening here in eastern Iowa, and the worst could be yet to come.

Child care is a key service for Waypoint in Cedar Rapids. The non-profit organization looks after young children year-round, but flood damage interrupted Waypoint's routine.

"To even close down for a week, that was very painful," says Waypoint Executive Director Liz Hoskins.

Hoskins says the organization was fortunate to find refuge just up the street, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. In the transition, Waypoint lost a couple of kids, but picked up several more, breaking the 100 mark, and emphasizing the demand for post-flood child care.

"You cannot halt childcare," says Hoskins.

Linn County's early childhood community fears the lack of child care following the flood will get worse before it gets better. With summer winding down and damaged businesses re-opening, parents are scrambling to find childcare. But unlike Waypoint, most of the 18 flood-affected licensed centers and the 45 registered child care homes in the Cedar Rapids and Palo areas remain closed...some indefinitely.

"We really anticipate people leaving the field because they are just are getting new jobs," says Amy Bruner of HACAP.

Those choosing to stay in the child care field have their own concerns. The preschool teacher at Cedar Christian Preschool in southwest Cedar Rapids says its temporary location just isn't the same as this place.

"In this space we have had here, we were state licensed for 22 children. Now we're in a much smaller room and will be licensed for 15 kids," says Carol Stuckenschneider.

Solving the child care shortage will take time. More importantly, providing quality care for children will take the community's help.

Some promising news is that Waypoint opens back up in its downtown location Monday. The community can help other damaged child care centers get back up and running by specifically donating money to early childhood flood recovery or by adopting a child care center through Cedar Rapids "adopt a business" program.