Every day, we hear about another area of life that the recession has impacted. One of the issues that has hit home for many families is the number of local day care centers that have shut their doors over the past year. Across the country, centers are shutting down, due to loss of funding, lack of clients, or both.
But when one center closes, the ripple effect spreads as parents scramble to find other child care options. Maybe you know a family who had to change day cares because one closed, or maybe it’s happened to you already. If so, you know families rely on these centers for daily child care so parents can continue to work. And, for many, they’re one of the few options for government-subsidized care.
The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (
NACCRRA), which has more than 800 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and uses them to help monitor and improve child care resources, reported declines in the number of child care centers in 27 percent of their communities and almost half saw a decrease of the amounts of family-run centers.
"The results of this survey clearly show that the country’s recession has significantly impacted the number of children in child care," said Linda Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "As parents lose their jobs, cut back hours, or have to take lower paying jobs, they are no longer able to pay the high price of child care. So parents are forced to pull their children from child care, and as a result programs are closing, providers are being laid off, and families and communities are suffering."
As day care centers lose customers, they’re forced to close. But that leaves the families who still use their services out in the cold. If you or someone you know is facing the loss of their child care center, keep these ideas handy to find new care options fast.
Keep Back-up Options Available.
I always suggest keeping a list of back-up caregivers on hand with sitters who might be free at a moment’s notice. This list can include paid babysitters, but also consider asking relatives, friends, and neighbors for help if you’re in a pinch.
We just launched a brand new feature,
Care-on-Call, that helps you find last-minute child care (as well as special needs care and caregivers for your pets and elderly loved ones). When you need to find a back-up babysitter in a hurry, Care-on-Call texts and emails caregivers who are on your “My Favorites” list or live nearby and have the flexibility to take on jobs at short notice. I know I’ve been caught scrambling through a list of friends, relatives, and neighbors many times to find a sitter for my boys. If I had access to Care-on-Call back then, life would have been much easier!
Review All Your Options
Many school districts offer pre-kindergarten programs for young children that are either free or come at a discounted rate. Your local Early Education program can also give you a list of child care options, and most states or counties offer programs or subsidies that can help with child care expenses. The best place to start looking for how these programs work and who you should talk to is to search your home state’s website for “child care” or “day care.”
Find a New Day Care
If your center closes, try visiting a nearby Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. You can find the closest agency by visiting
NACCRRA.org and entering your ZIP code. They’ll help connect you to nearby accredited child care centers, offer advice about scholarships and government aide if you qualify, and are a great safety resource, too. You can also review the
Day Care Directory for a list of accredited centers nationwide.
I hope your family doesn’t have go through a day care center closure. It makes me sad when that happens—our little ones make friends at these centers and learn so much from their great teachers. But if you do get caught in a pinch, I hope you’ve found these tips helpful.
If you’ve had to change your child care arrangement because your child care center closed, tell us how you handled the situation. Help out the rest of the Care.com community by leaving a comment!