Debbie Baas said there are plenty of people who tell her they could never do what she does, much less for more than 30 years.

“But I don’t know how I could not do it. We become part of their families,” the licensed in-home day care provider said.

In the world of day care providers, statistics tell us most stay in business for about five years.

“But Freeborn County is unique in that way,” said Baas, a member of the Freeborn County Day Care Association. She said there are 14 providers who have been in business for more than 10 years, another 14 that have been in business for more than 20 years, and five who have been in business for more than 30 years.

Today through Saturday is Family Child Care Provider Week in Minnesota, a week set aside to recognize the contributions child care providers make in the lives of Minnesotans.

Baas is one of the five providers who have been in the business for more than 30 years. She quit her job as a hairstylist when her son was born because she couldn’t stand the idea of someone else taking care of him.

So she started taking care of other people’s children. “Three months later I had 10 kids,” she said.

Starr Holt had the same story. She too, was a hairstylist, who didn’t want to leave her kids. So she started taking care of other people’s as well.

“I’ve loved it ever since,” Holt said.

Debbie Pirsig said she got into day care “by accident.” She had been married for about a year, didn’t have any children of her own and didn’t know of any others who had in-home day cares.

“I didn’t know what people did with their kids when they went to work,” she said.

But she started taking care of her friends’ children, got licensed and is still busy. “I never thought I’d be in it this long,” she admitted.

LaJean Bjorklund said she started an in-home day care because her children wanted her to be home when they got home from school.

“I got to stay home with my own kids, and now I get to stay home with my grandkids,” she said.

Judy Gulbrandson’s reasons were different still. Her mother had died and her father was not coping well. Gulbrandson decided to start caring for one or two children and take them with her to visit him.

“My husband liked me being home, too,” she said.

Over the years, things have changed a lot in the day care business.

“We used to be baby sitters,” Holt said. “Now we’re professionals.”

In addition, most of the providers use a preschool curriculum, Holt said, helping kids get ready for kindergarten.

Also, where few women were working when they started in the business, a majority of kids in the county now go to day care. Baas said there are 71 in-home providers in Freeborn County. Those providers served 720 families and 1,191 children last year.

The Freeborn County Day care Association was formed in 1981. The association arranges training for its members and serves as a support group.

“I always get at least one new idea from the meeting,” said Holt.

The veterans said they also enjoy meeting new providers.

The association also provides free referrals to families looking for child care.

This Tuesday, the association is holding a celebration in honor of the week and hosting a continuing education program on Love and Logic. Other programs have been on cultural diversity, ages and stages, diseases, dealing with death or illness, divorce, separation anxiety, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Program, car seats, temperaments and emergency drills.

Licensed day care providers have to be trained in first aid and CPR. They have four unannounced visits each year from a food program representative.

Baas said any of the association’s 10 board members is willing to do outreach or a program for a service club.

Pirsig said she believes one of the most important things the in-home provider offers kids is being a stable person in their lives. “We have so many split families now,” she said.

Holt agreed. “We are stable. We’re there for them. They need rules and routines and they want to feel safe.”

She said she feels like more than a day care provider. She often feels like part of the family.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” Pirsig added.

“What else would we do?” Bjorklund asked.

For Baas, the worst part of day care is the day the children leave her house. “I’m devastated when they’re done,” she said. “There’s something special about every kid I’ve ever had.”