KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some families across the Kansas City area are having to scramble for childcare as schools called off class last week and now this week.
Staffing shortages due to COVID-19 forced the Kansas City, Kansas, and Olathe school districts to cancel classes for Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Olathe, 20% of their staff was out and they had 1,500 student cases of the virus.
Now, daycares are trying to figure out how to take in more kids while dealing with their own staff shortages.
"We've had a lot of staff that are out either due to exposures or testing positive," Jeremy Herring, owner of Country Kids Day Care in Olathe, said. "Thankfully we haven't had any serious cases, but it's definitely straining overall staffing levels."
Hannah Flaming, director at Kids 'R' Kids in Olathe, said they're experiencing the same issues as schools.
Kids R Kids can't take anyone new until they hire more people.
"Every day I get a call about somebody wanting childcare and I just can't take them because of staffing," Flaming said. "It's not even an issue of not having room for them 'cause the center's huge. We have plenty of room and I think we could do it safely as well, but it's staffing."
Herring said Country Kids Day Care has been getting more calls from parents lately. They would take in more kids but their building expansion approval has been delayed because of the pandemic.
"When you are back at work you should really start looking at backup options before you need them because on short notice, there's really not a whole lot we can do if we don't have the capacity," Herring said.
There is another option: Boys & Girls Clubs. Dr. Dred Scott, president and CEO, said they are anticipating an influx of kids in the next couple days.
"What we want to do is be a great partner to those school districts and the community as a whole to open up our doors, so we try to be as nimble as we can and we have a little more flexibility than districts do to meet the needs," Scott said.
Scott expects the KCK and Olathe locations to be busier. Parents in those districts should call to get more information.
Boys & Girls Club will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kids get breakfast, lunch and, if needed, dinner.
The cost is $5 per child for families who aren't already members.
"It is kind of first come, first-serve in that way. All our facilities are licensed for childcare so we do have to stay within adult and children ratios. We would have to cap at a certain time," Scott said. "I would say to parents, let us worry about the ratios and the staffing side of that."
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