PLAN ON GETTING A MASSAGE, I NEED IT.

>> Eric: I BET.

THANKS FOR COMING.

>> THANK YOU.

>> ERIC: WE'VE BEEN HIGHLIGHTING SOME PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN CHILDCARE SHORTAGES LATELY.

THE NEED FOR CHILDCARE SLOTS IS GREATEST IN PLACES LIKE NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE WENT TO POLK COUNTY TO MEET ONE IMMIGRANT WOMAN WHO HAS OPENED HER OWN CHILDCARE CENTER.

IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD FOR FATIMA TO OPEN HER BUSINESS.

>> I SEE THE PEOPLE, THAT'S WHY I LIVE THE CHILD CARE.

>> AHMED IS IN HER FIRST YEAR OF OPERATING THE CHILD CARE CENTER IN EAST GRAND FORKS.

IT WOULD BE AN ACHIEVEMENT FOR ANYONE BUT HER STORY IS EXTRAORDINARY.

>> I'M COMING TO SOMALIA AND I LIVE IN... BECAUSE SOMALIA IS LOT OF PROBLEM FOR MY FAMILY.

MY HUSBAND IS DEAD.

>> YOUR HUSBAND DIED IN SOMALIA?

>> YES.

>> AHMED AND HER YOUNG FAMILY FLED FROM TRIBAL UNREST.

EVENTUALLY THEY CAME TO THE U.S. AS REFUGEES AFTER THAT I -- ONE MONTH, TWO MONTHS, LIKE THAT.

AFTER THAT, I NEED SOME WORK WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE... THEN I COME TO MINNESOTA, MINNEAPOLIS.

I LOOK AND MY COMMUNITY FOR HELP, BUT THERE'S NO HOUSING, LIKE THAT.

>> SHE MOVED TO FARGO.

SHE FOUND A JOB MAKING SAMBUSAS IN A RESTAURANT FOR $1100 A MONTH.

BUT SHE STRUGGLED TO FIND CHILD CARE.

EVERYWHERE SEEMED TO HAVE A WAITING LIST AND FEW PROVIDERS TOOK GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE.

EVENTUALLY SHE ND HER FAMILY CAME TO EAST GRAND FORKS.

SHE STARTED HER OWN FAMILY CHILD CARE IN HER HOME BUT SHE HAD TO TURN MANY AWAY.

HER LICENSE ONLY ALLOWED UP TO 14 KIDS.

THAT'S WHEN A BIGGER DREAM WAS HATCHED.

>> Reporter: SHE SAVED $40,000 AND GOT A LEASE FOR A 5,000-SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY.

IT NEEDED A GUT RENOVATION AND COSTLY IMPROVEMENTS LIKE A NEW SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

THEN SOME BAD LUCK.

A CONTRACTOR LEFT BEFORE FINISHING THE JOB AND THERE WAS A FIRE.

AHMED SAYS THE COSTS SKYROCKETED TO SIX FIGURES.

INSIDERS SAY THAT MONEY PIT EXPERIENCE IS COMMON.

>> THE CHALLENGE REGARDLESS OF THE BUSINESS THAT THEY'RE STARTING THAT WE SEE EVERY DAY IN THE WORK THAT I DO, AS WELL, IS ACTUALLY THAT CAPITAL.

>> Reporter: ABDI IS ALSO A SOMALI IMMIGRANT AND ENTREPRENEUR.

HE OWNS A CHILD CARE CENTER IN St.

CLOUD.

HE SAYS START-UP COSTS CAN BE PROHIBITIVE FOR MUSLIM SOMALIS WHO MUST ALSO ADHERE TO SHARIA LAW.

>> THREE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO MONEY THAT HEY NEED TO START THEIR BUSINESS, RIGHT?

A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY BELONG TO THEIR FAITH, THEY AN'T GO TO THE BANK AND GET INTEREST-BEARING LOAN.

>> Reporter: THE CONCEPT OF TAKING YOUR CHILD TO A CHILD CARE CENTER IS FOREIGN TO MOST SOMALIS.

TRADITIONALLY, FAMILIES HELP ONE ANOTHER.

HE SAYS SOMALIS GETTING INTO CHILD CARE ARE MIXING TRADITION WITH AMERICAN NORMS.

>> WE ARE ENTREPRENEURS.

WE LOVE BUSINESS, WE LOVE DOING BUSINESS.

IT IS HOW A LOT OF FAMILIES SEE IT SO YOU WON'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU SEE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST ARRIVED IN THE COUNTRY A COUPLE EARS -- A YEAR AGO OR TWO YEARS AGO THAT'S TRYING TO START UP THEIR OWN BUSINESS, WHETHER THAT COULD BE A RESTAURANT OR A GROCERY OR SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN SERVE THE COMMUNITY.

>> Reporter: FORTUNATELY, AHMED FOUND HAPPY.

THE MIDWEST FOUNDATION ASSISTED HER WITH A PACKAGE OF GRANTS AND LOONS AND THEY DID IT BY AVOIDING AND INTEREST-BEARING LAND TO RESPECT HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.

>> ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WAS FINDING THE RIGHT WAY TO SUPPORT AND TO HELP AND TO LIFT HER UP.

YOU KNOW, MONEY IS ONE THING, GETTING LOAN FUNDS IS ONE THING, BUT EVEN JUST THAT ASSISTANCE, THAT -- YOU KNOW, HELPING HER FIND THAT SELF-DETERMINATION TO KEEP GOING -- >> Reporter: IT TOOK MANY PARTNERS TO COME TOGETHER.

SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE SET ASIDE SALES TAX REVENUE TO HELP.

>> SEEING IT AS COMMUNITY NEED, WE NEED CHILD CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY, LET'S FUND IT ON A COMMUNITY LEVEL.

>> Reporter: AND THE NEED IS GREATER IN GREATER MINNESOTA.

>> THERE ARE REGIONS OF THE STATE WHERE THE CAPACITY ONLY COVERS HALF THE POTENTIAL OF KIDS.

IN THE METRO AREA, IT'S MORE LIKE A QUARTER OF THE KIDS OF THE POTENTIAL THAT KIDS THAT ARE NOT COVERED BY CAPACITY AND IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA, IT'S A LITTLE LESS, IT'S MORE LIKE IN THAT 20-125% REGION.

BUT WHEN YOU GET UP INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NORTHERN MINNESOTA, IT REALLY GETS QUITE SEVERE UP THERE.

>> Reporter: INFANT CARE IS THE HARDEST TO FIND ANYWHERE.

FAMILIES HAVE TO DRIVE LONG DISTANCES AND PLAN AHEAD.

>> SOMETIMES HEY EVEN TELL YOU BEFORE YOU GET PREGNANT TO START LOOKING.

THAT'S HOW MUCH OF A SHORTAGE THERE IS.

>> Reporter: AMANDA KINNEY WORKS AT A NEARBY COLLEGE.

SHE SAYS SHE LIKES HAVING HER SIX-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER IN A MULTI-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT.

>> I LOVE THE DAY CARE.

I COULDN'T ASK FOR BETTER PEOPLE