Day cares full as parents plan for Abington teachers strike

Sept. 11--With a strike looming to start Tuesday in the Abington Heights School District, demand for child care rose at two local day care centers.

Daydreamers Child Care in Newton Twp. and Waverly Community House in Waverly Twp. both have had more calls for enrollments during the past several weeks and added staff and extended hours, representatives of the two centers said.

But they could not accommodate everyone who called, because of licensing space and staffing requirements. Daydreamers had to turn away eight to 10 parents seeking new enrollments of their children. Waverly Community House also had to turn down at least that many parents.

"There's only so much space available," said Amber Sheridan, director/co-owner of Daydreamers located inside the Newton Recreation Center at 1814 Newton-Ransom Boulevard.

Sheridan shuffled and added staff to accommodate parents of children who already had been enrolled at Daydreamers for after-school hours of 3-6 p.m., but now with a strike would need more hours or full days.

"We're making do," Sheridan said. "My assistant director will go into a classroom, I'm calling in subs."

Maria Wilson, director of the Waverly Community House at 1115 N. Abington Road said enrollment at the child-care operation there filled up quickly in recent weeks, and the center extended its usual 11:30 a.m.-to-6 p.m. school day to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"We did expand our school day to accommodate families impacted by the strike," Wilson said.

Some half-day kindergartners who would have come in after 11:30 a.m. -- after their half-day of kindergarten would have ended -- now will need child care services earlier in the morning, too, Wilson said.

Both day care centers also are maintaining waiting lists, in the event of any changes or cancellations among parents.

Extra hours will cost parents more.

A parent who previously enrolled a child at Daydreamers for after-school hours five days a week but now needs five full days would pay an extra $99, Sheridan said. At Daydreamers, five days of after-school child care from 3-6 p.m. costs $85, while full-day child care costs $184 a week there, she said.

Waverly Community House's half-day cost is $18 and the full day cost is $36, Wilson said. A parent previously needing only half-day child care at Waverly Community House but now needing a full day would see their daily cost double, Wilson said.

Phone calls to Waverly Community House have continued, but the program is full, Wilson said.

"We weren't really able to accommodate any new (enrollments) as of a week ago," Wilson said in a phone interview Friday. "We're trying to be as of much assistance to the community as we can."

If a strike leads to more kids than usual during weekdays at Abington Community Library, it will put together some extra activities as needed, said Laura Gardoski, the library's head of youth services. The library at 1200 West Grove St. in Clarks Summit has taken such steps in the past during school snow days, she said.

"We're just waiting to see what will happen," Gardoski said of a school strike.

"If there's a strike, we probably will see more kids during the day," Gardoski said. "We'll add more fun things during the day, probably spontaneous, fun programs," such as Lego building or math/science club type activities.

"We're pretty good at coming up with things on the fly," Gardoski said. "We're here for the community and what the community needs."

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After negotiations failed last week and with no follow-up session scheduled for today, a faculty strike in the Abington Heights School District remains set to begin Tuesday, representatives of both sides said Sunday.

Schools Superintendent Michael Mahon issued an update on the district website Sunday saying that union leadership notified the district Saturday night that the union would not attend a negotiating session that had been scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. at the district administration office.

"Abington Heights' board committee, administration and labor counsel were prepared to meet in the hope of advancing the productive discussions that occurred on Sept. 7, 2017. There are now no meetings scheduled between the parties prior to the strike date set for Sept. 12, 2017," Mahon's update said.

Abington Heights Education Association President Tim Moher called that update characterization "disingenuous."

"The only point (to meet on Sunday) was if they want to sit and talk," Moher said in a phone interview. "They want to get us to concede more. They don't want to bargain."

During the last negotiating session Thursday, the union sought a one-year contract with a 2.5 percent pay raise and health care remaining the same. Teachers do not pay for health care premiums, including dental and vision, under the current contract. They do pay out of pocket for co-pays and deductibles, and both increased twice in the past three years.

The district's one-year counter offer called for a 2 percent raise and union members each contributing $80 a month toward health care premiums, whether for single employee or family coverage.

The current contract expired on Aug. 31.

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