Susan Elandt has been running My First Adventure Child Care and Preschool in Waupaca, Wisconsin for the past eight years, providing early morning care for dozens of families. Despite her dedication to the children in her care, Elandt announced that she will be closing her doors before the end of August due to the emotional, physical, and financial demands of running a child care center. Like many child care providers across the country, Elandt is struggling to keep her center afloat in the midst of a child care crisis that is impacting both parents and providers.
The cost of child care has skyrocketed in recent years, making it one of the biggest expenses for families. The average yearly cost of care per child is now over $11,000, surpassing rent and mortgage payments in many states. Running a child care center also comes with high expenses, such as insurance, supplies, and staff salaries. Despite the importance of their work, child care workers are often paid low wages, leading to high turnover rates and difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified staff.
The child care industry received temporary help during the Covid-19 pandemic from federal funding, which allowed providers to increase staff salaries and cover expenses. However, this funding has since expired, leaving many centers facing closure. Elandt has had to raise rates for parents and implement other cost-saving measures to keep her center running, but the challenges have taken a toll. She has made the difficult decision to close her business, leaving families and staff in a state of panic.
As the child care crisis continues to escalate, Elandt and her colleagues are advocating for larger solutions to address the challenges facing child care providers. They believe that greater recognition of the importance of child care work, along with increased government funding and policy changes, are needed to support the industry. The city of Waupaca is working to find a way to keep My First Adventure open under new ownership, but as of now, the center is expected to close in July.
Despite the closure of My First Adventure, Elandt and her colleagues are committed to continuing their work in the child care industry. Elandt plans to work as a substitute teacher in the public school system, while Higgins hopes to become more involved in activism to advocate for better compensation and policies for child care workers. They believe that raising awareness of the crisis facing child care providers is essential to finding lasting solutions and ensuring that child care workers receive the recognition and support they deserve.
