Nothing worries parents more than the prospect of finding a capable caregiver for their precious newborn or toddler as they return to the workforce. Even if the considerable hurdle of cost can be met, the lack of openings at daycare centers and with at-home providers can trigger a panic attack, as the search for a qualified sitter drags on.

The shortage has hovered at critical levels for many years, and grows increasingly dire with each ensuing generation. With the projected population growth is an expected rise in the state's workforce. Reality check: More working parents means more daycare needed.

Advertiser staff writer Treena Shapiro recently reported on the difficulties faced by the Hawai'i Kids at Work daycare center in securing a long-term lease at the Chinatown Gateway Plaza. Its closure or relocation will mean the available spots for children under 18 months in Downtown Honolulu may drop by half.

But this center's problems represent only a microcosm of the situation statewide, where 6,200 infants and toddlers need care, and only 903 slots are available. There is an unmet demand for the more institutional setting of a commercial daycare center. Other families prefer the home-based care of neighborhood providers, but these small businesses need access to resources that could help keep them afloat.

Lawmakers last year recognized the issue, and the House passed a concurrent resolution directing the state Department of Human Services to assess the situation and recommend ways that the state might address the shortage. Two private agencies that deal with child care — People Attentive to Children and the Good Beginnings Alliance — have compiled some ideas for the department's report to the Legislature.

Among the recommendations being discussed: