Early Years center closes
On Thursday, children at Early Years Community Learning Center in Renfrew held a festive Halloween party. But on Friday, the center is opening its doors for the last time.
The Early Years location, situated on Route 68, will close permanently Friday due to problems finding staff to fill vacancies, according to Maureen Bergdahl, owner and founder of the Early Years Community Learning Centers company.
The Route 68 center, one of six Early Years locations in the county, employed seven teaching staff members and one director. Like many other child care centers across the county and state, it was having difficulty finding enough new staff to cover classrooms and fill holes left by departing employees.
“I had three full-time people quit, and to try to replace them within two weeks wasn't feasible,” Bergdahl said. “Two were teachers, and they were going to another center in Cranberry that can pay them a lot more money than we can pay in Butler.”
Two weeks ago, when those three employees left, Bergdahl said she had a team meeting to look at the options.
“We didn't have enough options,” she said. “I told the parents as soon as I could tell them because it's difficult for them to find child care too.”
Some families looked to other Early Years locations, while others went to other child care providers. In a given day, the Early Years center typically served around 35 to 40 children, but Bergdahl said the total number of students was closer to 45 or 50 across full- and part-time care. Even at the time of closing, there were 20 people on a waiting list to sign up.
The Route 68 center had been operating for the past 13 years, having opened in 2008. Bergdahl originally founded the first Early Years center in Gibsonia in 1989.
“Right now, child care workers feel like they are going to whoever can pay them the most,” Bergdahl said.
She said the center pays competitive wages, but other, larger centers that charge more for child care can sometimes pay more.
“(At some of our other centers) I might have someone in for two weeks, and then they get another offer and they're gone,” she said.
The remaining employees who worked in the Renfrew location will be offered positions in other Early Years locations across the county, she said.
“They are good people who have worked for us for years,” she added. “It's tight everywhere, but we're making it work.”
Despite unprecedented difficulties, Bergdahl said she still enjoys managing child care.
“I've been in the business for 30 some years, and I've never seen it like this,” Bergdahl said. “But I think every company has challenges right now, but I enjoy being with the kids. The families enjoy us, and the staff we have is really good. I appreciate everybody.”
