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For the past two months, many of the state’s child care providers have been like airplanes stuck in a holding pattern, worried about running out of fuel.
A survey of 2,000 licensed child care centers and family child care providers, released last week, underscores the precarious state of their finances. Having lost money during the pandemic, they face additional expenses as they prepare to fully reopen, with social distancing requirements that will limit the number of children they can serve, significantly reducing their revenue.
The combination could tip many over the edge, forcing many that had suspended operations because of the coronavirus to close permanently, said Sean Doocy, research associate for the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment in Berkeley, which released the survey. “Whether they closed or remained open, all face financial and safety challenges.”
When the survey was taken, between April 13 and 30, 63% of programs that were open reported they would not be able to survive more than a month longer under the shelter-in-place orders. Two-thirds of those surveyed were home-based family care providers, serving up to six children up to age 5, and larger family care providers serving up to 12 children 5 and under. One-third surveyed were licensed centers, often run by school districts and nonprofits.
Child care providers have remained open during the pandemic to serve children of “essential workers,” who include hospital and health care facility employees, first responders, workers providing social services for low-income families, food workers and delivery workers. But without being able to serve other families, 7,644 child care providers — about 1 in 5 in the state — had suspended operations by May 1 because of the shelter-in-place orders, according to data from the Department of Social Services, as reported to EdSource by the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, a network of agencies in every county that help families find child care.
Many of those that have stayed open are serving fewer children. Child care generally has been a low-margin business, where rent in urban areas is high and pay for child care workers is at or slightly above the minimum wage.
Home providers are unable to apply for state unemployment because they’re classified as self-employed independent contractors. They can apply for small-business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program under the $2.2 trillion CARES Act that President Trump signed in March, but, like many small businesses, family child care providers say the money has been hard to get, and many lack one of the requirements: a business bank account.
“We are stuck in a limbo between staying open for essential workers and risking our own health and safety because we are needed, and (we) can’t afford to close because we are independent contractors,” an unnamed provider said in the survey.
Among the findings:
Faced with rent and other costs they are struggling to meet, one out of seven of the several hundred programs that reported suspending operations said they would have to go out of business if they can’t reopen by May 30. That’s particularly disturbing, Doocy said, because child care centers were already in short supply before the coronavirus. That picture can only worsen if some can’t afford to reopen, he said.
Depending on where in the state the programs are located, it may be a race against time. Gov. Gavin Newsom has included reopening child care programs fully to serve other families returning to work in Phase 2, the next of four phases laying out the return to normalcy. But county health officers will determine when the conditions are right, and the Bay Area counties are taking a more conservative approach to reopening. And when they do reopen fully, strict social distancing regulations will limit the number of children to 10 per classroom, adding to cost pressures.
Child care advocates are calling for additional state and federal help, to help the industry survive and weather the crisis.
In March, Gov. Newsom and the Legislature hurriedly appropriated $100 million — $50 million for K-12 schools and child care providers to buy cleaning supplies and safety equipment and $50 million to pay child care costs of essential workers. The money for that has just begun to flow last month, and 62% of providers in the survey reported difficulty obtaining it. Linda Asato, executive director of the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, said that over the past two weeks, more providers have received funding for sanitation and vouchers for child care for essential workers.
The CARES Act also included $3.5 billion for child care for the states. California’s share is $350 million. Newsom said his May budget revision will provide more details.
But child care advocates are hoping that the next round of federal stimulus aid will include a huge infusion for child care. U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Tina Smith, D-Minn., are leading the effort with a proposal for $50 billion, which they said is needed to “stabilize the child care system, keep providers in business and ensure parents are able to go back to work when it is safe to do so.”
Asato, whose organization supports funding centers to stay closed until safe to reopen, agreed. “Child care is hard to rebuild, once lost, so if we can sustain them for the next 18 months to 2 years, we would be investing in our future,” she said.
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Lisa Diaz 4 years ago4 years ago
I own and operate a large family in home day care and have done so for over 13 years. Due to this pandemic I have gone from a full roster with a wait list, caring for infants up to school age offering pick up and drop off to and from schools. Since March I went from 15 kids to 1, regained another part-time student in May and another 2 mid-May. I chose to stay open … Read More
I own and operate a large family in home day care and have done so for over 13 years. Due to this pandemic I have gone from a full roster with a wait list, caring for infants up to school age offering pick up and drop off to and from schools. Since March I went from 15 kids to 1, regained another part-time student in May and another 2 mid-May.
I chose to stay open because these families were essential workers and were desperate for quality childcare. Because we are governed by the state we have been mandated to have a 10 to 1 ratio. I have had to furlough my employees and have exhausted all business funds.
Getting cleaning supplies is a challenge. Balancing the decision of making payroll or payments such as rent, utilities, insurance and so forth has become exhausting. Yes I did apply for the Paycheck Protection Program in the beginning. Realistically 2 and a half months of grant money for payroll and other approved expenses is and was not enough, not to mention that it took a while to get. Then when they changed the rules after I had already rushed to be sure I did what was expected within the 8 week period, in order to have the loan forgiven.
I could have made better business decisions having known the new facts. Grants for providers and centers that are available are greatly appreciated but the process and time frame that it takes from applying to receiving is nerve racking. 1 person running the daycare, curriculum, food prep, tripling the time and procedures for cleaning, and on top of that having to keep up with all the telebriefing, searching and applying for grants and or loans and then having to be told because we worked and earned some income (which usually goes toward everything else other than our paychecks), we do not qualify for unemployment makes me wonder if closing and earning unemployment with the extra $600 would had been an easier way to go.
But my families need me and my kids are worth staying open for, even if it puts my family at risk. We are all in this together. I just hope that the government, our governor and city officials realize that providers do this because this is who we are and what we choose to do. To be recognized as essential workers would be greatly appreciated, because the bottom line is the major essential workers and heroes of all this pandemic may not be able to work without their childcare providers.
Carolynn DiGiuseppi 4 years ago4 years ago
Can you refer me to the letter which gives childcare providers priority when purchasing cleaning supplies? Thx
Holly Gold 4 years ago4 years ago
Just this week, I've heard of six local child care centers deciding to close (approximately 200 child care spaces). All are over 30 years old. This week many of us came to realize that regardless of our willingness, CDC social distancing and cleaning requirements make it impossible to do so. We are willing, but it simply is not possible to have preschoolers line up to have their temperatures taken, sit in small groups unable to … Read More
Just this week, I’ve heard of six local child care centers deciding to close (approximately 200 child care spaces). All are over 30 years old. This week many of us came to realize that regardless of our willingness, CDC social distancing and cleaning requirements make it impossible to do so. We are willing, but it simply is not possible to have preschoolers line up to have their temperatures taken, sit in small groups unable to interact, play individually with toys that are sanitized after each use and be denied physical comfort from adults in masks and smocks.
We’re willing to do a lot but we aren’t willing to psychologically damage children. If we had been able to reopen, the PPP would have helped. Without providing a service or having an income, funds to pay staff who would need to stop receiving unemployment with no work to do doesn’t help anyone. Subsidized programs appear to continue to receive funding (historically not enough). Most preschools are very small businesses funded by parent fees/tuition. With schools closed there is simply no income with continued expenses. I think it is important for the public to understand the difference between coop, subsidized and private pay schools. Most preschools are private pay (serving all income levels but sharing the common trait that parents pay), and we have no life-line.
Susan 4 years ago4 years ago
Hi Laura, I am a (small business) preschool owner. Most child care centers/ preschools in our area have shut down until we can reopen safely. We hope to re open safely by September, but it will depend on availability of supplies, and the ability to meet the social distancing regulations with young children. This may or may not be possible. While centers are closed we still have had to continue paying insurance, workman's comp (even … Read More
Hi Laura,
I am a (small business) preschool owner. Most child care centers/ preschools in our area have shut down until we can reopen safely. We hope to re open safely by September, but it will depend on availability of supplies, and the ability to meet the social distancing regulations with young children. This may or may not be possible.
While centers are closed we still have had to continue paying insurance, workman’s comp (even though the teachers have been laid off) utilities bills and rent. However, we have refunded tuition for the time they we have been closed and will continue to only collect tuition for the fall’s possible reopening. We don’t collect tuition for a service we are not providing. The money is going out but it is not coming in! When it does, regulations will change the child/teacher ratio, making it even harder for these child care centers/ preschools to survive. The teacher pay and the bills will remain the same, but the amount coming in, according to new regulations, will be considerably less.
Patricia Haydon 4 years ago4 years ago
Hi. We’ve been closed since March 18th. When can I legally open my school again?
Replies
Zaidee Stavely 4 years ago4 years ago
Hi Patricia. Child care centers and family child care homes can open, but only for the children of essential workers and those who have to work outside the home, and as long as they meet new social distancing and health regulations. I recommend you reach out to your local resource and referral agency.
Noah 4 years ago4 years ago
Hi regarding the passage “Home providers are unable to apply for state unemployment because they’re classified as self-employed independent contractors.” I believe this population is eligible for the federally funded (CARES Act) CA EDD Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Program (https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/pandemic-unemployment-assistance.htm) a COVID related relief program for independent business owners that began online enrollment on April 28, 2020, to allow up to 39 weeks of claim benefits retroactive to the date of impact (from Feb 2, 2020).
Bob Johnson 4 years ago4 years ago
Note to John, Self-employed people, including childcare providers, can apply for unemployment under the CARES act. In California the place to start is the EDD Pandemic Unemployment web site (https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/pandemic-unemployment-assistance.htm). Here are some further resources if you are interested: The New York Times has a good FAQ page, including stuff on the self employed here (https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-stimulus-package-questions-answers.html) The LA Times has an article on the new unemployment and how to apply … Read More
Note to John,
Self-employed people, including childcare providers, can apply for unemployment under the CARES act. In California the place to start is the EDD Pandemic Unemployment web site (https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/pandemic-unemployment-assistance.htm).
Here are some further resources if you are interested:
The New York Times has a good FAQ page, including stuff on the self employed here (https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-stimulus-package-questions-answers.html)
The LA Times has an article on the new unemployment and how to apply here (https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-03-23/how-to-file-for-unemployment-coronavirus)
As did MSNBC (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/coronavirus-unemployment-benefits-here-s-who-qualifies-how-much-they-n1169846)
Cornell Law School did a good job of explaining how the Disaster Unemployment Assistance statute extends benefits to more people on this site (https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/625.6 )
Laura summers 4 years ago4 years ago
So we pay a mortgage, a level amount of money every month for every child to be watched at these day care centers and this industry has the nerve to say they won’t survive? I’m sorry, but something is wrong here.
Replies
Zaidee Stavely 4 years ago4 years ago
Hi Laura. Not all child care centers still have parents paying tuition. Many have lost income, as the article indicates.