Covid-19 drastically affecting local childcare centers of every size

By Rhonda Crowder

Aside from war, Covid-19 is perhaps the most devastating phenomenon the world has seen in the last one hundred years. Like a category 5 hurricane, it leaves almost nothing untouched, from its death tolls to the economy, to its effects on our daily lives.

One industry especially feeling the brunt of Covid-19’s impact is childcare. 

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered all childcare facilities across the state to shut down on March 24, 2020. Shortly after, some were able to reopen as pandemic centers. For various reasons, many did not. Moreover, the fear of catching or even having contracted Coronavirus is causing many parents to keep their children at home. We took a look at how the new regime is affecting childcare providers of all sizes.

Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland

With 11 direct and 60 partner sites, CEOGC (Council For Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland) operates the largest head start program in Cleveland and one of the largest in the state. Last year, they served close to 2800 children.

This year, due to Covid-19, they anticipate serving only a fraction of that number — maybe 1500 to 2000 — said Dr. Thea Wilson, vice president for children and families at CEOGC. 

CEOGC operates the largest
Head Start program in Cleveland

Because CEOGC is a nonprofit that receives federal funding, they haven’t been hit as hard financially as others.

“It’s been pretty steady,” said Wilson. “But we can’t say the same for our partners who run for-profit facilities.

While CEOGC chose not to convert their Early Learning Centers into pandemic sites, they did host summer camp to learn how programming would work under Covid restrictions. 

“We got rave reviews from those parents. They thought we did a fabulous job. No one got sick. We didn’t have to send anyone home. It was a good experience for the children,” said Wilson. 

CEOGC learned during this time that maintaining a lower ratio is a must. Where previously two teachers could handle a class of up to twenty preschoolers to two teachers, that ratio has been cut in half. “When you start looking at that alone, that has a very big impact on how many children we can serve,” said Wilson.

Another big change for them is that parents can no longer enter the building but must drop their children off at the door. CEOGC finds this a challenge because they’ve always welcomed parents inside.

“Now we’re having to rethink how we engage our parents on a different level,” said Wilson.

CEOGC is implementing a distance learning curriculum for parents who are uncomfortable with bringing children to the centers at all. “They’ll get a chrome book and they can have contact with a teacher that way.”

CEOGC does not require children to wear masks, although some do, according to Wilson. Teachers, however, are required to wear masks. “That alone helped our parents understand we were serious about what we say we’re going to do.”

The agency pushed back the start of their fall classes to Sept. 8 to align with Cleveland Metropolitan School District. “We needed to give teachers time for professional development,” said Wilson.

With over 40 years in education, Wilson’s biggest concern is the social-emotional development of those children who lack the normal interaction with others. “Everything is not learned in classrooms, but most things are, and we really need to have children in classrooms,” she said.

Friendly Inn

Friendly Inn Settlement House’s Enrichment Center, accepting children ages 6 weeks to 12 years, tells a slightly different story. Before Covid, they had almost 100 children enrolled. As the virus spread, that number has dropped to 20 or fewer children per day.

“Parents were afraid and staff were afraid. They started calling off and you couldn’t blame them,” said Kimme Foster, program administrator.

Friendly Inn's Enrichment Center accepts children ages six weeks to 12 years old.

Because of the panic, existing health conditions within the community and the lack of children showing up, Friendly Inn chose to not be a pandemic center. Following all of the health protocols, they recently reopened. 

“A lot of parents still didn’t want to bring children back. We’ve been open for two months and barely have 40 children enrolled,” said Foster.

Friendly Inn’s pre-Covid capacity was 130. At the onset of the outbreak it was reduced to 45, however, DeWine has said centers could go back to original numbers.

They decided against it.

“It took a hard time to get to the numbers where we are at now. The majority of our clients are African Americans, who have been affected three times more than anyone else. So we’ve had people who have lost jobs, have had Covid or have it, or are taking care of loved ones who have it. So, we don’t feel comfortable going back to our regular numbers knowing that, if something should happen, we may be held liable for it,” said Friendly Inn President and CEO Yolanda Armstrong. 

“If people really wanted to come they would be here, but they are not. People are keeping their kids at home or making other arrangements.”

Armstrong said the staff is committed, even though they are scared as well.

 “We want the public to know we are here to serve them. We can’t close our doors,” said Armstrong. Although located in the Central neighborhood, Friendly Inn’s Enrichment Center is open to families from all communities.

Throughout Friendly Inn’s 145-year history, the Enrichment Center has been its biggest source of income. “It has hit our revenue stream,” said Armstrong. “The blessing has been PPP [Payroll Protection Program] dollars. The PPP dollars have kept us going.”

However, she explained that, once they took a look at July’s numbers, they are going to fall short. “We’re going to run a deficit,” she said.

“But, because our childcare center has been the money maker,” Armstrong continued, “we thought it was important for the staff and administrators to know we care about and support them. We will not shorten their pay. We’ll make it up in other areas.”

Friendly Inn’s Enrichment Center is a (Step Up to Quality) five star center. SUTQ is a five-star quality rating and improvement system recognizing and promoting child care programs that exceed minimum health and safety licensing regulations. Star-rated programs that provide publicly funded child care receive additional funding based on their ratings. This additional funding is a percentage of their base pay rate for publicly funded child care services. This tool is designed to help programs estimate the weekly and annual payments they could potentially receive for each star rating they achieve.

The majority of their funding comes from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) through publicly funded child care.  All of their parents receive some assistance in paying for child care. Some of the funds come from state grants, like the Pandemic Support Payment Grant that centers can apply through OCCRRA (Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association).

Friendly Inn is being considered by Cleveland Metropolitan School District to host school age children and  provide mentors as well during in-school hours.

When it comes to the children’s adjustment to the new protocols, Foster said, “It’s difficult for them to keep the mask on. We have to continue to remind them to keep the mask on and social distance.”

Shell’s Learning Center

Shell's Learning Center is a Step Up to Quality 3-star rated center.

Michelle Beden-Payne has been in childcare for 31 years. She went from a type B to a type A provider in her home to opening her first facility, Shell’s Learning Center on Lee Road in Shaker Heights four years ago and quickly became a three-star center. Before the onset of the pandemic, she operated at capacity — 46 children. Now, she’s at less than half.

“Before Covid, I was doing great. We were full,” said Beden-Payne, who was even planning to open a second center on Richmond Road in Warrensville Heights prior to the outbreak. Covid delayed in the opening until a few months ago.

“We’ve been impacted drastically. It cut my children on Lee Road down to nineteen. I have seven at the Richmond Road center.” Her capacity at that center is 84. “It’s a struggle.”

Beden-Payne did receive some PPP dollars and incentives from the county to conduct proper sanitation. “They’ve given us a little but, with the majority of the children not coming back, it’s not going to help. With less ratios, it’s not enough to make payroll for two weeks.”

Beden-Payne has been able to maintain her staff and continues to push forward.

She said jobs allowing employees to work from home is another reason why parents are not bringing their children to the center. Most of Beden-Payne’s remaining parents are essential workers such as doctors, STNAs and bailiffs. Teachers going back to school are starting to bring their children as well.

“I understand people’s worries, and we can’t promise anything because we don’t know. Having a compromised immune system, I’m at risk. We’re all taking a risk every day we come in,” she said.

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