Families, centers grapple with child care issues

NEW MILFORD — Merima Trako and her husband have rearranged their work schedules so at least one of them is home when their sons get out of school.

But when New Milford schools announced it will reopen with a hybrid plan, they and countless other families had to scramble to find child care for the three days their children would be required to learn remotely.

“Every working parent’s challenge is a little different,” she said.

The town, state and private organizations have modified their offerings to try to provide a space students can remote learn during the day while their parents are at work.

“Certainly COVID and the hybrid planning for opening and remote learning have caused a greater need for full-day programming,” said Jeff Kitching, executive director for EdAdvance, a regional educational service center working with Danbury schools to create a program now that the district is starting fully remote.

This brings another set of challenges though, including staffing, technology and unexpected costs for families that can sometimes be hundreds of dollars more a month than planned.

Trako said she appreciates the New Milford Youth Agency expanding its

program. She is planning to send her sons there on the three remote days, which costs $175 each a week. It’s an expense her family wasn’t counting on, but the only alternative is her husband cutting back hours, resulting in a loss of income.

“We have no choice,” she said.

Limited seating is also a concern the state has warned about. The coronavirus has decreased class sizes at these programs to 16, which reduces the overall number of available seats at some places.

The Bethel YMCA usually accepts 60 students for its after-school program, but is only able to accept 48 now. Both the Bethel and Brookfield locations have a waitlist, said Debbie D’Ostilio, the school-age child care director at the Bethel YMCA.

Expanding programs

Details are still being worked out for the EdAdvance program, but the idea is to accommodate 35 students in the Police Athletic League Building in Danbury, Kitching said. The group is also working with Torrington on a full-day program, while offering before- and- after school programs for families in the region.

The New Milford Youth Agency, which is the town’s child care program, also rolled out three options, expanding on their regular after-school offering. It can accommodate 185 students.

Bethel Parks and Recreation Department is running a $50-a-day program at Berry Elementary School for the K-5 children of school employees. The elementary and middle schools will be under the hybrid model for the first few weeks before transitioning to full-time.

Five to six children are expected on Mondays and Tuesdays, while another five to six students are planned for Thursdays and Fridays, said Eileen Earle, Parks and Recreation director. A smaller number of students will attend Wednesdays.

For other families, Bethel has recommended programs at the YMCA and the Danbury Sports Dome, a 129,000-square foot space that will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. week days for 130 students in kindergarten through seventh grade.

General manager Ken Piela expects 150 to 200 children will enroll, but students will come on different days and times based on their school schedules, he said. The program costs $45 per day or $30 per halfday.

Cost

Some families expect to spend hundreds of dollars they weren’t budgeting for, either because they’re adding hours to their child care or it’s a new need entirely.

Those costs can be even higher for families with multiple children.

“That could be like a rent payment every month,” Trako said, adding this was a problem across the country, not just in New Milford or Connecticut.

She hopes the government at any level can step in and make child care more affordable. New Milford Social Services is connecting families to financial aid, but Trako said she and most other middle-class families don’t qualify.

High child care costs and a lack of options is not a new problem, though the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted its challenges.

“The pandemic and the challenges of remote learning this fall will no doubt make the situation even more difficult for working parents, especially essential workers and other who cannot work from home,” said Isabel Almeida, president of United Way of Western Connecticut.

She said United Way has made its community grants more flexible to make child care more affordable for low-income workers, and to help the child care centers they fund use the money for their most critical needs.

Some federal money is also available for the centers.

D’Ostilio said the YMCA’s child care costs went from about $150 a week to $230 a week to cover the full-day program.

“Financially, it’s really put a strain on families,” she said. “A lot of these families decided they would seek out alternative care,” including homeschooling and relatives or neighbors taking care of the children.

The number of staff will affect EdAdvance’s cost, which is still being determined, Kitching said. EdAdvance will also look for state funding or philanthropic donations to drive down the price tag, he said.

“We will do everything we can to minimize the final cost for parents,” Kitching said.

Staffing

Many programs are looking for additional employees, often from Western Connecticut State University, as they expand their after-school programs to full-day options.

Brian Hembrook, who oversees the Youth Agency child care program, has said he’s having trouble finding people to take the midday shifts. He had hoped to fill them with college or high school kids, but it’s been hard since both are back in session to some degree.

EdAdvance is gathering a list of potential staff that are credentialed and would be appropriate for the program. The center expects it could use existing staff or part-time school employees.

“It’s difficult to staff up for a program like this because we don’t anticipate the need to be there longterm,” Kitching said. “When school is back in session full-time, the need for the program will be gone.”

D’Ostilo faces this balancing act as wll. She said she doesn’t want to hire too many people and then have Danbury return to hybrid or fully in-person learning models — thus reducing her staffing needs — but she also doesn’t want to be left with not enough employees.

“We’re trying to staff a center that was 12 hours a week and now it’s 40 hours,” she said, adding she and the assistant director are now helping out as teachers. “We’re kind of filling the holes.”

The dome plans to use existing staff, but has hired a few additional people, Piela said.

Two to three staff members are expected for the Bethel program. This includes staff who have worked with the department before, while others are new hires or worked for the school system, Earle said.

Instruction

Parents at various school board meetings have said they’re looking for more than just a place for their children to remote learn.

They question the efficacy of remote learning and want an instructional component as well, so students can ask questions. This is a bigger concern for parents of younger children, who might have a harder time logging on and learning from a screen.

Most of the child care programs said they can help students log in, but the actual instruction is up to the school.

“They’re going to have to log into their computers and follow their days,” said Earle from the Bethel program.“Our staff will just monitor them. We’re working on getting them outside part of the time and lunch.”

At the dome, students will be separated by school and age, and monitored to ensure they attend virtual class, Piela said.

But children will also be able to play basketball, football, softball and other sports.

“They’re going to be busy,” Piela said. “They’re going to be having fun. They’re going to be doing things with kids that they enjoy. They’re not going to be doing the same thing all day long.”

Another challenge is whether centers are equipped to handle additional technology needs.

D’Ostilio said someone is assessing the Wi-Fi at both the Bethel and Brookfield YMCAs. EdAdvance has a technology department that is ready to equip the building with the internet it needs so students can access their assignments online.

“As soon as we finalize the space, we’ll make sure we have connectivity so we can assist kids,” Kitching said.

D’Ostilio said every school year starts with challenges, and this year is no exception.

“It will just be a different set of challenges,” she said. “We’re ready, we’re willing and we’re capable.”