Centre County child care centers adjust to new guidelines, sharp decline in enrollment
Child care centers in Centre County were permitted to reopen Friday, but many families were not in a rush Monday to send their kids back for the first time in about seven weeks.
Attendance at Step by Step School for Early Learning was down about 87% Monday, while Dall’Inizio DaySchool’s attendance was down about 63%, respective owners Rachel Johnson and Carrie Pase said.
Both Ferguson Township day cares were concerned with complying with state and federal guidance, but otherwise had little to no hesitation in reopening.
“I’m here to provide a service to make sure kids are taken care of and safe. This is my life’s work, my mission,” Pase said. “... As long as everybody is healthy, we’re good. Bring ‘em on. I want people to be able to go to work and feel confident knowing that their children are being taken care of and loved on.”
During shutdown, centers across Pa. served essential workers
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered most child care centers in Pennsylvania closed effective March 16, but allowed facilities to submit a waiver asking if they could remain open solely for families of essential workers.
Step by Step and Dall’Inizio were among the nearly 30 child care centers in Centre County whose waiver was granted, though not all remained open.
About 1,530 child care providers in the Keystone State continued operating during the statewide shutdown, according to the state Department of Human Services.
Many were motivated to remain open because they “felt a sense of duty to the families of ... essential workers,” DHS Secretary Theresa Miller said in a statement.
Wolf’s directive was lifted Friday, when 24 counties shifted to the “yellow” phase of Wolf’s reopening plan.
“Even as we resume certain operations in the counties that have moved from red to yellow, we must remember that this is not a return to normal life,” Miller said. “This is just the beginning, and the dangers of the pandemic are still very real.”
What safety precautions are child care centers required to take?
Some preventative measures, like implementing social distancing strategies and intensifying cleaning efforts, have become the status quo regardless of industry.
Other precautions for child care center outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require more planning.
Centers should stagger arrival and pickup times, implement screening procedures upon arrival and greet children outside of the facility.
Administrators should also anticipate increased staff absences and recruit those with child care experience to ensure adequate staff ratios are maintained.
“Is it scary? Yeah, it is. It’s such a weird thing right now,” Pase said. “... And now we have guidance that we shouldn’t let people in the building — just grab the kids at the door and bring ‘em in. That’s tough. We like to welcome people in.”
What’s the financial impact on Centre County child care cares?
While some felt a moral obligation to remain open, it was a “terrible financial decision,” Johnson said. Payroll — the largest expense for many business — was reduced, but many fixed costs remained.
Pase estimated her business lost $20,000 per month in revenue, while Step by Step co-owner Rob Johnson estimated a loss of $200,000 per month. The latter could have climbed to $240,000 per month without state subsidies.
Step by Step expects to lose about $800,000 in revenue by August, an amount that Rob Johnson said is “fundamentally crippling” and could limit the center’s ability to pay its bills on time and in their entirety.
“We could never continue to operate like this on a long-term (basis),” Rachel Johnson said. “... It’s not good. It’s really not good.”
The Johnsons prepared a series of financial projections and none of them are rosy.
If at least 85% of children return by Sept. 1, Rob Johnson said it could take 12-18 months for the center to catch up with its payments.
But if low attendance continues and the business receives no outside financial support, the “worst case” scenario would likely leave Step by Step with three options: a drastic altering of its business model, closing one of its schools or closing both schools.
The “best case” scenario with low attendance and no outside financial support pushes that decision to the end of the year, he said.
“It is a scary time for small business owners. I can say that for sure,” Rachel Johnson said. “... There’s still lots of unknowns as far as how, and if, the government is going to provide any help. I know that public health is extremely important — it’s probably the most important thing — but we also, obviously, can’t forget about local economy and the value of that to society.”