Coronavirus classroom size requirements caused Greeley early childcare centers to operate at a loss for months

LaRae Rader, left, lead preschool teacher, interacts with Stephen Puente, a student at ABC West Child Development Centers on Monday, June 1, 2020. State regulations reduced class sizes and required teachers to wear masks. Photo by Kelly Ragan.

By Kelly Ragan

ABC Child Development Centers stayed open amid the coronavirus shutdown, continuing to take care of kids as their parents, often essential employees, went to work.

But operations were far from business as usual.

Aside from temperature checks, extra handwashing, extra sanitizing, and teachers wearing masks, the budget was under fire.

Scott Bright, owner, said childcare centers already operate on a razor thin margin.

Classroom ratio sizes differ depending on the age of the child, he said. The youngest kids have a classroom ratio of five kids to one teacher. The older kids have classrooms with a ratio of 15 kids to one teacher.

“It isn’t until the last child is enrolled that the childcare center sees any kind of profit,” Bright said.

But for months, state regulations limited classroom sizes to 10 kids.

“So, at 10 kids, we’re essentially operating at a loss every day that we’re open,” Bright said. “That makes it really tough to try to weather the storm.”

But there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.

While group sizes were limited for months, Gov. Jared Polis signed a new executive order Monday that will allow some childcare providers in Colorado could return to regular group sizes Thursday. The guidance applies to childcare centers, family childcare homes, and building-based school-age child care programs.

Restrictions are still in place for other programs, such as school-age day camps, license-exempt youth programs and children’s resident camps.

Cady Wagy, director of ABC West Child Development Centers, said over the last few months, parents have been tearfully happy ABC stayed open.

Aiden Ortega plays with toys at ABC West Child Development Centers Monday, June 1, 2020. Child care centers stayed open — at a reduced capacity — as the state went under stay-at-home and safer-at-home orders. Photo by Kelly Ragan.

But staying open did come at a cost.

In February, Wagy said, ABC West had 220 employees, but ABC had to furlough 170 as the state shut down.

“We’re slowly bringing that staff back who want to come back,” Wagy said. “It’s hard for staff to feel safe and secure in the work environment.”

In an interview in April, United Way of Weld County CEO and President Jeannine Truswell said she was concerned with what was happening in the childcare community. As childcare centers had to reduce staff with more parents working remotely or not working at all, she said she knew childcare centers would feel the impact.

The question, she said, was whether centers would be able to reopen when parents started going back to work.

“In Weld County, we already had a lack of childcare centers to meet the needs of the work force,” Truswell said.

Doug A’Amico, right, plays with toys as Sasha Ferman, assistant teacher at ABC West Child Development Centers, watches on Monday, June 1, 2020. Photo by Kelly Ragan.

The Boys and Girls Club of Weld County also hit some capacity issues.

The club shut down its traditional operations organization wide, said Terry Adams, CEO of The Boys and Girls Club of Weld County.

But standalone sites, like the one in Greeley, were able to stay open to provide childcare for essential workers.

The Boys and Girls Club joined Governor Polis’ Colorado Emergency Child Care Collaborative and was able to offer subsidized child care to folks working at grocery stores, gas stations, and more, Adams said.

Adams said in Weld, the Boys and Girls Club typically serves between 550-700 kids per day.

With the restriction on the number of kids allowed in a room, the club was able to serve a maximum of 70 kids per day.

But Colorado is starting to re-open.

On May 25, spring skiing and private campsites opened back up. On May 27, restaurants could open up for in-person dining at 50% capacity. On June 1, children’s summer day camps could open.

Bright, of course, doesn’t want anyone to get sick.

He said he also prays on a daily basis that the economy recovers quickly and people can get back to work.

“Our business model relies on people going to work,” Bright said. “That’s the only way to keep the doors open.”