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Despite financial concerns, halting payments to your daycare provider might seem appealing, especially when many are requesting partial fees during the shutdown. However, if financially feasible, continuing payments ensures your daycare remains available once it’s safe to reopen.
For countless working parents, securing reliable and affordable child care is the cornerstone of balancing professional and family life. Child care costs consume a significant portion of household budgets, ranging from 9 to 36 percent of a family’s income, yet daycare centers operate on razor-thin margins, with staff earning an average of $10.82 per hour.
Daycare centers function with minimal financial buffers
Daycare centers are facing a dire situation, with 30 percent of facilities stating they would permanently close if forced to shut down for two or more weeks. Additionally, as shutdowns began, daycares experienced a drastic 70% drop in daily attendance within just one week.
A recent study suggests that up to 4.5 million child care slots could be permanently lost if the crisis persists without intervention. While the CARES Act provided some relief with $ billion allocated to child care facilities, the estimated need is closer to $50 billion.
How do I work if no one takes care of my kids?
While we can hope for congressional action, the reality is that many elected officials are men who likely haven’t faced the challenges of securing or affording quality child care. Protecting our already fragile child care system may not resonate with them or rank high on their agenda.
Parents are already feeling the effects of daycare closures
This problem recently became a reality for many parents employed at Houston’s Texas Medical Center, which houses numerous healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers, when the University of Texas Health Childhood Development Center abruptly and unexpectedly shut down permanently.
Kai Li Tan, a researcher specializing in the intestinal nervous system, now faces the challenge of finding new daycare arrangements for her two children following this closure.
“How do I work if no one takes care of my kids?” Tan expressed in an email. “We cannot afford a long-term personal babysitter.” With her husband being an essential worker, the daycare’s closure complicates her return to work, especially given the scarcity of child care options and the high cost of alternatives like hiring a full-time nanny.
As you prioritize your responsibilities, it’s crucial to recognize the value of high-quality daycare and consider steps you can take to ensure your daycare remains operational once it’s safe to reopen.
