'Childcare cliff': Families struggle as another daycare center closes, NC considered childcare desert
Northern Wake County parents have just a few weeks to find new childcare for their kids. Amber Clark said she cried when she opened the letter notifying her that locally-owned Rolesville daycare center, Rhymes & Reasons, was closing permanently.
Clark’s 2-year-old daughter currently attends the center.
Since learning about the closure, Clark said she created a spreadsheet full of different daycare centers.
"I've just been calling and getting on wait lists and doing tours," she said. "There's day cares I've called that have said, 'We don't have a wait list, because our wait list is over 50 people long.' It's a bit of a struggle now to try to find a place that 1) has a opening and 2) is affordable."
Clark said the closure of Rhymes & Reasons is part of a much bigger issue: affordable and available childcare.
North Carolina is considered a childcare desert. On average, more than five families with infants and toddlers are competing for every available licensed childcare space, according to the NC Early Education Coalition.
"We are headed towards a childcare cliff," said Rep. Jeff Jackson (NC-14). "We need to change course by investing in childcare providers."
Kristina Keaton said she’s run into the same issues.
"A lot of places around here either have ridiculous wait lists or the prices are just so out-of-budget," she said. "It's just hard to find full-time care for their kid without giving up your career."
Parents of children at Rhymes & Reasons got this letter on April 8:
"This is a letter that is so hard to write. As it has been said before, 'All good things must come to an end.' Unfortunately, it is so true.
I am ready for retirement after nearly thirty-five years of working with children, both in the Wake County Public School System and here at Rhymes & Reasons since opening in 1998. I have tried so hard to find new ownership in order to keep this building open and to continue it running as a preschool. That hasn't been able to happen. As you know, since COVID the world hasn't returned to normal. (I don't get it, nor understand it.) I have not been able to increase enrollment for some time due to staffing. Nobody is applying to work in child care. It's almost like people are afraid of working with children anymore. All educational facilities from child care through high school are suffering. WCPSS can't even keep enough bus drivers to transport children to school and when they get there, there's not enough staff to support them. It's a very sad world we live in right now. Prior to COVID, this building was full of children.
I am at a stage in my life where I need to focus on my family and myself. I will have regrets because I have worked hard to build this business from the ground up. You may think, "Why not retire and keep the business running as it is now?" I am not in a position where I want to keep this responsibility ongoing. I would never be able to completely walk away and keep it open. The stressful responsibilities would still remain. Now, I've become a statistic as a center closing due to the long-lasting effects of COVID.
It has been amazing to teach and love hundreds of children these past 25+ years here. However, I just don't see that ray of sunshine happening that I counted on once we moved past COVID. We are on the other side of it now and things haven't improved. I have a large list of names wanting child care spots here but I can't help them due to insufficient staffing. These ladies that are in classrooms are amazing. They roll with the flow of the day-to-day changes like champions. Bottom line, it just isn't fair to the children or the teachers when we have to move them around to meet the state mandated guidelines for ratio compliance.
I would like to thank you for trusting us to love, teach and care for your little ones here at Rhymes & Reasons. This is more than just a job, it's a passion. It takes very special people to work with children of any age in a large setting on a daily basis. We have always taken this very seriously. I've always wanted you to walk into this building that felt good, like a family full of love and joy with compassion for others.
It is with heartfelt sadness that I must announce that my center will close on May 3, 2024.
I love your sweet family and I wish the best for you."
Some of the issues cited in the letter, like effects of COVID-19 and staffing shortages, were addressed in a survey by the North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Council.
State Child Development and Early Education Director Ariel Ford discussed the crisis with state lawmakers earlier in April.
"Programs have had to raise tuition," Ford told lawmakers. "They're having staffing shortages because of the wages. And they're under-enrolled, because they can't hire enough staff to keep classrooms open."
Clark said some daycare centers are asking for $300 per week, and others are asking for $1,500 per month for full-time care.
"When you have to make the decision between 'Does one parent just quit their job and stay home because all of their paycheck will go to childcare?,' that's so unfortunate and so unfair to families," Clark said. "There has to be an answer to the problem."
Just this week, lawmakers introduced the Expanding Child Care Access Act of 2024.
- State government knows: To lure jobs, workers, you must have quality child care
- High costs shrink size of families: The price of raising kids
The Expanding Child Care Access Act of 2024 would provide a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 to new family childcare providers once they receive a state family childcare license.
This tax credit can be used to reimburse these new providers for expenses like playgrounds, cribs, training, supplies and more.
"This will help hardworking families by increasing access and bringing down one of the biggest costs to families with young children," Rep. Jackson said.
This credit will encourage potential providers to open up new family childcare centers in their neighborhoods while also expanding the overall supply of childcare. The goal is to increase choices and flexibility for parents.
