Susan Elandt has been operating My First Adventure Child Care and Preschool in Waupaca, Wisconsin for the past eight years, providing early morning care for children of working parents. She announced in May that she would be closing her doors due to the emotionally, physically, and mentally demanding nature of the work, low pay, and lack of professional recognition in the community. Like many child care centers across the country, My First Adventure is feeling the impact of a child care crisis that affects both parents and providers.
The average yearly cost of child care has risen to $11,582 per child, with the cost of placing two children in care exceeding rent and mortgage payments in most states. Running a child care center comes with high expenses, including staffing costs, insurance, and supplies. Elandt struggles with high turnover among staff due to low wages, with hourly rates for child care workers in Wisconsin averaging $13.78, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, federal funding provided much-needed support for child care providers, allowing Elandt to increase salaries and retain employees. However, this funding expired in September, leading to concerns about a potential wave of child care program closures. With the end of federal support, Elandt implemented rate increases for parents to retain staff, but some employees still left for better-paying jobs.
As Elandt prepares to close My First Adventure, the stress of managing a tight budget and dealing with staff turnover has taken a toll. Families and staff are scrambling to find alternative options, and Elandt is hopeful that bigger picture solutions will emerge to address the child care crisis. The city of Waupaca is actively trying to facilitate a sale to keep the facility or re-open it under new ownership, but as it stands, the center is expected to close in July.
In the fall, Elandt plans to transition to the public school system, where she has been working as a substitute teacher. Both she and teacher Lydia Higgins express the need for better compensation and policies for child care workers, emphasizing the importance of their role in shaping the future generation. They plan to get more involved in activism to raise awareness and advocate for improvements in the child care industry.
