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| Child-care centers have already been reopening. The results are troubling. | Child-care centers have already been reopening. The results are troubling. |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| As Americans’ attention focuses on schools and the risks and potential rewards of reopening, a test case of sorts is playing out. With troubling results. | As Americans’ attention focuses on schools and the risks and potential rewards of reopening, a test case of sorts is playing out. With troubling results. |
| Thousands of child-care facilities nationwide have already reopened, or tried to — and their experiences risk destroying the country’s already weak infrastructure for child care. The model is bad for everyone — parents, educators, caregivers, doctors, Republicans, Democrats — who wants children to return to campuses as quickly and safely as possible. | Thousands of child-care facilities nationwide have already reopened, or tried to — and their experiences risk destroying the country’s already weak infrastructure for child care. The model is bad for everyone — parents, educators, caregivers, doctors, Republicans, Democrats — who wants children to return to campuses as quickly and safely as possible. |
| Most debates over “reopening” revolve around K-12 schools, and what measures must be in place to bring back students safely. Administrators and teachers have expressed frustration about inconsistent guidance on what kinds of adaptations are needed. | Most debates over “reopening” revolve around K-12 schools, and what measures must be in place to bring back students safely. Administrators and teachers have expressed frustration about inconsistent guidance on what kinds of adaptations are needed. |
| Rather than helping schools reconcile conflicting advice, the Trump administration has responded with threats of funding cuts. | Rather than helping schools reconcile conflicting advice, the Trump administration has responded with threats of funding cuts. |
| Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic | Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic |
| This is exactly the wrong response. Schools need more money, not less. The additional space, supplies, tests and other measures required to reopen will be expensive. | This is exactly the wrong response. Schools need more money, not less. The additional space, supplies, tests and other measures required to reopen will be expensive. |
| We know this because a significant share of the child-care facilities that have reopened are struggling. | We know this because a significant share of the child-care facilities that have reopened are struggling. |
| Some 40 percent of the child-care providers that existed pre-pandemic expect to close permanently unless they get additional public assistance soon, according to a National Association for the Education of Young Children survey of more than 5,000 child-care providers released on Monday. | Some 40 percent of the child-care providers that existed pre-pandemic expect to close permanently unless they get additional public assistance soon, according to a National Association for the Education of Young Children survey of more than 5,000 child-care providers released on Monday. |
| Why? Even in the best of times, many child-care organizations operate on razor-thin margins. The work, whether supervised playtime or more structured instruction such as pre-K, is extremely labor-intensive and is subject to strict regulations (such as staffer-to-child ratios) that limit their ability to scale. | Why? Even in the best of times, many child-care organizations operate on razor-thin margins. The work, whether supervised playtime or more structured instruction such as pre-K, is extremely labor-intensive and is subject to strict regulations (such as staffer-to-child ratios) that limit their ability to scale. |
| Now, their business model has basically become impossible. | Now, their business model has basically become impossible. |
| On average, child-care facility enrollment is down 67 percent, the association survey found. The industry has seen huge layoffs but even that hasn't sufficiently reduced expenses. Fixed costs — such as rent — often remain unchanged, and covid-19 has introduced new expenses. New health and safety requirements require smaller class sizes (and so, more staffers per child). Then there are additional costs that schools also face: more cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, thermometers, disposable plates — even extra sets of toys, if possible. | On average, child-care facility enrollment is down 67 percent, the association survey found. The industry has seen huge layoffs but even that hasn't sufficiently reduced expenses. Fixed costs — such as rent — often remain unchanged, and covid-19 has introduced new expenses. New health and safety requirements require smaller class sizes (and so, more staffers per child). Then there are additional costs that schools also face: more cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, thermometers, disposable plates — even extra sets of toys, if possible. |
| “We want children to have more materials only they use,” said Mary Graham, executive director of the not-for-profit Children’s Village in Philadelphia, which serves children ages 13 months to 13 years. “But we can’t staff a classroom with 10 sets of blocks.” | “We want children to have more materials only they use,” said Mary Graham, executive director of the not-for-profit Children’s Village in Philadelphia, which serves children ages 13 months to 13 years. “But we can’t staff a classroom with 10 sets of blocks.” |
| Graham said her costs have skyrocketed even though enrollment is down. (When we spoke last week, the facility had served just 28 children the day before; summer enrollment is usually about 300.) She said her center long ago exhausted its Paycheck Protection Program loan and is rapidly depleting its fund balance. It can continue running at a loss for only a few more months. At that point, it would join the 165 licensed child-care providers across Pennsylvania shuttered by the pandemic that have indicated they will not reopen. | |
| Graham’s center primarily serves low-income families. Organizations that serve more affluent families are unsure they’ll be able to pass along their higher costs to parents. | Graham’s center primarily serves low-income families. Organizations that serve more affluent families are unsure they’ll be able to pass along their higher costs to parents. |
| “I think in two months, we’re all going to be gone, even the best of us,” said Shaun Rose, president of Rock Spring Children’s Center in Bethesda. His facility is losing $100,000 each month, he said, thanks mostly to payroll costs; it would lose “only” $45,000 a month if it re-shuttered, primarily because rent would still be due. | “I think in two months, we’re all going to be gone, even the best of us,” said Shaun Rose, president of Rock Spring Children’s Center in Bethesda. His facility is losing $100,000 each month, he said, thanks mostly to payroll costs; it would lose “only” $45,000 a month if it re-shuttered, primarily because rent would still be due. |
| With state and local governments both broke and restricted by how much they can borrow because of balanced-budget requirements, the feds need to step in. | With state and local governments both broke and restricted by how much they can borrow because of balanced-budget requirements, the feds need to step in. |
| The Cares Act provided $3.5 billion in relief for child-care centers and $13.5 billion specifically for K-12 schools, but this has proved woefully insufficient. The child-care industry alone requires at least $9.6 billion in public funding each month during the pandemic to sustain the viability of providers, the Center for Law and Social Policy estimates. | The Cares Act provided $3.5 billion in relief for child-care centers and $13.5 billion specifically for K-12 schools, but this has proved woefully insufficient. The child-care industry alone requires at least $9.6 billion in public funding each month during the pandemic to sustain the viability of providers, the Center for Law and Social Policy estimates. |
| We are interested in hearing about how the struggle to reopen amid the pandemic is affecting people's lives. Please tell us yours. | We are interested in hearing about how the struggle to reopen amid the pandemic is affecting people's lives. Please tell us yours. |
| Senate Democrats have proposed a $430 billion cash infusion for schools and child-care programs, but the White House has shown little interest. During a TV interview on Monday, National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow indicated that President Trump is more concerned about making sure the next stimulus package has a capital-gains tax cut than funding for schools and child care. | |
| Reopening educational and care institutions is necessary so parents can work; so children can meet critical educational, social and developmental milestones; and so families can receive many other services braided into these institutions, including nutritional support. | Reopening educational and care institutions is necessary so parents can work; so children can meet critical educational, social and developmental milestones; and so families can receive many other services braided into these institutions, including nutritional support. |
| Advocates I spoke with almost uniformly expressed frustration that U.S. airlines have gotten more generous assistance ($25 billion) than did the institutions that care for and educate children — even though the latter are arguably a more critical part of the country’s economic infrastructure. | Advocates I spoke with almost uniformly expressed frustration that U.S. airlines have gotten more generous assistance ($25 billion) than did the institutions that care for and educate children — even though the latter are arguably a more critical part of the country’s economic infrastructure. |
| “This is not a ‘bailout,’ ” Miriam Calderon, Oregon’s early learning system director, told me. “This is an investment that helps all the other businesses recover.” | “This is not a ‘bailout,’ ” Miriam Calderon, Oregon’s early learning system director, told me. “This is an investment that helps all the other businesses recover.” |
| Sign up to receive Catherine Rampell's columns by email as soon as they're published | Sign up to receive Catherine Rampell's columns by email as soon as they're published |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| Diana D’Amico Pawlewicz: The school reopening debate reveals that we don’t listen to teachers about schools | Diana D’Amico Pawlewicz: The school reopening debate reveals that we don’t listen to teachers about schools |
| Alexandra Petri: We can’t wait for schools to reopen safely! | Alexandra Petri: We can’t wait for schools to reopen safely! |
| Leana S. Wen: If Trump wants to reopen schools, here’s what his administration needs to do | Leana S. Wen: If Trump wants to reopen schools, here’s what his administration needs to do |
| The Post’s View: Schools need to reopen. The question is how. | The Post’s View: Schools need to reopen. The question is how. |
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