Pandemic impacting child care, early learning

Jun. 8--When Pennsylvania was issued a stay-at-home order, that meant the closure of child-care facilities across the state, including The Learning Lamp in Johnstown.

"The pandemic forced us to close nearly all locations," CEO Leah Spangler said. "This unfortunately led to a temporary furlough of staff."

As specific care programs begin to reopen, the organization is working on bringing those staff members back and no one has been laid off permanently.

"We know eventually we will resume normal service," Spangler said. "We just don't know what the time frame for that is."

The Learning Lamp has 19 locations across Cambria, Somerset and Bedford counties that provide child care and preschool for nearly 1,000 children per day when in full operation.

That number may decrease as time goes on, however.

Spangler explained that the centers are seeing fewer children.

She suspects that's due to more parents working from home, those who have been furloughed and don't need the service, and some who may be concerned about sending their children somewhere with a high number of people.

It might take up to a year to return to normal attendance and operation, Spangler said.

'Save early learning'

In support of agencies such as The Learning Lamp, the United Way of Laurel Highlands passed around a petition from Pre-K for PA in May to collect signatures to turn in to the legislature.

The goal was to urge state policy makers to "save early learning" in the state, the petition says.

"Today, Pennsylvania's early care and education system is threatened," the document reads. "All Pre-K Counts and Head Start classrooms are closed and roughly 80% of child-care providers have had to shut their doors. A recent survey showed that nearly one-third of Pennsylvania's child-care providers indicated that they will likely go out of business as the result of a prolonged economic shutdown."

Karen Struble Myers, president and CEO of United Way Laurel Highlands, said the local branch has been working with the state United Way to support advocacy across Pennsylvania for pre-k and child-care facilities.

Sharing the petition was part of that.

She said one of the organization's main goals is supporting these aspects of education, but the situation with the pandemic has created a lot of unknowns, especially as more counties move toward the green phase of the state plan.

"Families need child care in order to go back to work, but what happens if there are limited spots in the place they previously used?" Struble Myers said.

Pre-K for PA has a three-pronged response to the pandemic to handle these unknowns.

According to the organization's website, the commonwealth must continue to pay child-care subsidies and contract payments to Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs during the crisis.

It must also provide funding to compensate for lost revenue by providers in the Child Care Works program until services are restored to normal, and cover a portion of lost revenue for uncollected private tuition.

'Economic impact'

In recent weeks, the state government has distributed $51 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to child-care providers to help during the pandemic.

A release from Gov. Tom Wolf's office said this money will reach nearly 7,000 centers and is the first of two waves totaling $106 million designated to assist child-care facilities.

The initial wave was to be distributed to all eligible, licensed providers preparing to reopen during the yellow phase.

Remaining funds will be allocated after a study by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Department of Human Resources and Penn State'sHarrisburg'sInstitute of State and Regional Affairs to assess the economic impact of the pandemic on the providers.

Agencies in Cambria County received nearly $370,000 while those in Somerset County were allocated $156,600.

"Any of the resources allocated to early learning through these relief efforts will help providers reopen," Struble Myers said. "However, it is unknown at this time if all providers will be able to do so. Some will remain shuttered because of the sheer economic impact of COVID-19."

Facilities received another boost from state Senate Bill 1108 which proposed $116 million in CARES funds for child-care providers and $9 million for early childhood education programs.

The bill was signed by the governor on May 25.

'Closing our doors'

Companies such as Small Town Hope Inc. in Northern Cambria will benefit from the funding.

The organization offers child-care services, preschool and a part-time preschool for children ages 4 and 5 years old, and had to shut down in March because of the pandemic.

"As a nonprofit organization operating primarily on income from services, in addition to donations and grants, closing our doors to all of our programs not only initiated financial concern for our center, but to each of our families that were affected," board member Elizabeth Paronish said.

She said there is concern over unemployment caused by the virus and those at Small Town Hope worry that the families they serve will no longer be able to participate in "care, preschool, and growing and learning activities" moving forward with limited income.

"It is truly an uncertain financial climate, which poses great concern to our livelihood as a small nonprofit organization," Paronish said. "Knowing how important safe child care and quality early childhood education experiences are, we also recognize that with families possibly not being able to pay for these services, some kids will go without them."

Donations and support have helped, she added.

Currently, the only child centers open are in the eastern side of the state and while mitigation efforts continue and more are allowed to reopen, the operations will be different.

Paronish and Spangler said this will include following Centers for Disease Control guidelines, staff and children wearing protective equipment, alterations in drop-off and pickup times, temperature checks upon arrival, fewer items brought from home and increased cleaning efforts.

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