1/7 @FirstUpEarlyEd, @SenToomey, @SenBobCasey Hello, my name is Janel A. Work. I am the owner of Kiddie Academy and the pandemic has completely crippled our childcare centers.
2/7 Prior to the pandemic, these centers were already being run at a tight budget. However, the business generally looked sustainable. We had a waitlist for parents who wanted to enroll their children, so we thought we’d be stable.
3/7 That changed dramatically due to the coronavirus. Currently, our enrollment has fallen by 50%. We have lost around $500k at each location. Our landlords have not given us a break. We are barely making operational costs.
4/7 At the onset of the pandemic, we had a huge turnover in staff. Naturally, we had to hire many more people to replace them, and then hire additional people to manage safety measures such as temperature checks and sanitization.
5/7 This appears to have worked since we have luckily had no cases at our centers, but our current staff is still understandably worried about the health risks. Everyday, they necessarily risk themselves and their families to work.
6/7 Whereas before they had felt valued at Kidde Academy, the staff now feels underpaid for the increased danger of working. I do not blame them; however, with our lack of funding, there is no way to compensate them for these circumstances.
7/7 Without some kind financial relief, I worry Kiddie Academy cannot sustain into next year. Our outgoing costs are too high, and our enrollment is too low. Please, the working class depends on your support. #FundChildCare #SaveChildCare @StartStrongPA
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