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Business Beat: Child Care Operators Facing Staffing Shortage, Exploding Demand

Three teachers are sitting at two six-foot tables in a classroom. They are reviewing and sorting books for children.
Kaleb Roedel
/
Northern Nevada Business Weekly
Teachers at Little Bear Preschool and Childcare in Sparks, Nev., organize books for children to read on July 19.

Here’s the latest business news from around Northern Nevada, with Business Beat from the Northern Nevada Business Weekly. This week, KUNR contributor Kaleb Roedel looks into the local child care industry.

The return to in-person work has led to a surge in demand for child care. But day care facilities across the country — and here in Northern Nevada — are struggling to stay staffed and open.

Before the pandemic, local child care facilities were full — with waiting lists. Then COVID-19 came and people moved to remote work and watched kids from home. For Little Bear Preschool and Childcare in Sparks, that led to a nearly 75% loss in revenue over the last year.

The pandemic has forced thousands of day care facilities nationwide to permanently close their doors, including 23 in Washoe County. Now, with people going back to work and more companies moving to Northern Nevada, demand for child care has exploded, but operators can’t find enough staff to keep up.

Little Bear Owner Lorrie Casalta said she’s been trying to hire for months. Until she’s able to fill more positions, she can’t open her second day care facility, which has capacity for 40 additional children.

Another local facility was only able to stay afloat during the pandemic thanks to essential workers. Crosswalk Preschool in Northwest Reno saw its enrollment drop from 42 kids to just 10 early in the pandemic. But it saw a boost when firefighters, police officers and health care workers needed a place to take their kids.

Day care operators say shortages in staffing, along with exploding demand, highlight the need for more funding for the industry. The federal government’s American Rescue Plan pours $50 billion into the industry, including $461 million in Nevada.

Read more about the challenges local child care facilities are experiencing at nnbw.com.

Kaleb Roedel is a KUNR contributor and reporter with the Northern Nevada Business Weekly. For more business news, check out the Northern Nevada Business Weekly at nnbw.com or in print on Wednesdays.

Kaleb is an award-winning journalist and KUNR’s Mountain West News Bureau reporter. His reporting covers issues related to the environment, wildlife and water in Nevada and the region.
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