HENDRICKS — Cedric’s of Hendricks will be the site of a May 9 banquet recognizing 22 Lincoln County day care providers.

The 6:30 p.m. event is being hosted by Child Care Nutrition, Inc. (CCNI) in conjunction with Development Services, Inc. (DSI), both of Ivanhoe.

“I think that day care providers are all special, and we want to take this opportunity to recognize the providers in our county,” DSI president Vince Robinson said Thursday.

He and other members of Born to Thrive met in Marshall and were discussing day care resources in Lincoln County when the idea of a banquet was brought up.

“There is a crucial shortage of child care in the area,” CCNI Director Sharon Rasmussen said Thursday. “We have a critical need for more day care in the area to draw more workers here.”

“We asked, what can we do to encourage them, to retain them?” Robinson said. “We decided to show them that people care by honoring them with a banquet.”

“The banquet is free to Lincoln County day care providers and one guest each,” said Nikki Rasmussen, associate director of CCNI. “There will be a $20 per person charge for others, but everyone in the community is invited.”

“We also have several community supporters who have donated to the banquet,” Robinson said. “The proceeds will go to offset the cost of educational opportunities and expenses.”

Day care providers are required to take continuing education classes, he said, and often have to travel outside of the county to take those classes.

“We’d like to subsidize it and help bring the classes here,” Robinson said, “and to help alleviate travel costs.”

“There isn’t a formal program planned. Just a fun time,” he said.

“In the economic development world, child care has been, and continues to be, one of our greatest assets and our greatest needs,” Robinson said. “We have to continue to meet the need and continue to work with providers to meet the need.”

“If it catches on,” Nikki Rasmussen said, “we’ll do it in other counties, too.”