Almost two years into the pandemic and childcare providers are still staying strong and open. However, the challenges they face have rarely changed. If anything, the burdens they carry have increased. In this blog, we tackle the top challenges childcare providers face in the Omicron phase of COVID-19.

64 percent of providers experiencing employee absences

While there were fewer closures mandated for childcare businesses, childcare providers have been grappling with temporary staffing shortages due to employees being absent. As Omicron continues to spread faster and infect easier than other variants, childcare workers have had no choice but to call in sick or run the risk of infecting the most vulnerable and unvaccinated segment of the population, the children they care for.
Due to this, the workload and stress just keep on piling for those left to manage the children in their care.

55 percent trying to hire additional staff

Aside from suffering from temporary worker shortage due to absences, childcare providers are still continuing to face hiring struggles as childcare workers have a hard time deciding to come back to the profession they love.
While caring for kids is a great job, the physical and mental load isn’t met with commensurate pay.
Even research data suggests that 1 in every 3 childcare workers go hungry.
These childcare workers who need all the energy a quality diet provides just simply cannot afford to consume nutritious food based on their paycheck.
Research also found that more than half of childcare workers in the US need public assistance.
This fact alone can deter qualified childcare workers from going back into an industry that cannot provide them with a livable wage.

51 percent facing increased staffing costs

As there is stiff competition in terms of hiring where other industries are better positioned to offer benefits, a higher starting salary, and even retirement plans, childcare providers have raised their starting salaries and wages in order to attract new talent.
Childcare providers have also given their current employees bonuses and more paid time off, thanks to federal funding for grants.
However, childcare providers have already expressed their concerns about being able to continue these raised wages and bonuses once the grants stop coming.
While demand for childcare has been higher than ever, childcare providers’ capacity to bank on this demand has been largely limited due to the pandemic restrictions and high staff-to-child ratios.
This leaves childcare businesses with even smaller income while staff wages are on the rise.

46% of providers reporting difficulty in obtaining cleaning supplies

One major change in childcare businesses’ operational cost is the addition of cleaning supplies.
As childcare businesses do their best to make sure their spaces are clean and safe for everyone, cleaning supplies bought have increased in quantity and have become a staple in any childcare business’ supply cupboard.
However, as everyone also has a demand for it, childcare providers now also have to worry about these supplies’ availability as it can undermine their childcare business’ workplace safety–both for their employees and children.

The pandemic has not only exposed the crisis in childcare but has also added more burdens for childcare providers to carry.