Day cares struggle to find staff
At the end of a long week on Oct. 15, administrators at Early Years Child Care in Butler had to make a difficult decision.
The center, one of six Early Years locations in the county, employed seven teaching staff members and one director, but was having difficulty finding new staff to fill holes left by departing employees.
“Some staff are leaving, and no other people have applied,” center director Shayla Leopardi said. “We just can't get staff right now.”
The problem had become untenable. The Route 68 location, which serves about 35 children, decided to close, marking its last day open as Oct. 29. Parents would have two weeks to find their children an alternate child care option.
But even as the center marked its last days, Leopardi said the demand for child care didn't cease.
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