- Steiner Ranch deploys goats for wildfire prevention efforts
- Goats graze greenbelt to reduce wildfire risk in Steiner Ranch
- 'We're already strapped' | Child care crisis worsens after Hurricane Helene
- 'My heart goes out to them' | Community rallies to support Walt Disney Elementary School teachers impacted by tornado
- 'It’s a horrible process' | Montgomery County homeowners now prepare for fight with insurance companies over tornado damage
'We're already strapped' | Child care crisis worsens after Hurricane Helene
Before the storm, Watauga County was already short 500 childcare spots. A provider says that may now be up to 700.
BOONE, N.C. — Amidst an already large childcare deficit, existing childcare providers in Western North Carolina are struggling to make ends meet.
Halee Hartley is the owner and director of Kid Cove, which operates multiple childcare facilities in the area. WCNC Charlotte first met her in October, right after Helene. While her facilities were able to get back up and running quickly, she says the overall childcare crisis has gotten worse.
“We are the backbone behind other workforces, and so it’s very crucial that we stay in business,” said Hartley. “A lot of us owners and directors are questioning whether or not we’re going to keep our businesses open, because we’re already strapped before a big storm hits, and then a storm hits, and we lose revenue for three months and counting now.”
Prior to Helene, Watauga County was already short more than 500 childcare sports, according to a recent report from the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Hartley now says that number could be as high as 700.
Other childcare facilities in the area weren’t as lucky as Kid Cove, sustaining damage that forced them to close for longer periods of time. Hartley’s team has been able to pick up some of the slack, but the overarching crisis remains.
“We still have repairs that we are fixing,” Hartley said “But in the midst of it, we have grown enrollment, and we are continuing to provide long-term relief for quite a few families.”
While she credits the Chamber of Commerce for its ongoing support, including local business grants and allocating money to families needing assistance with childcare tuition, she says they need more support from the federal and state governments.
“We have been told that there are many, many resources, grants, loans coming our way, but we have not seen any of it yet,” Hartley said. “We are really honing in on our advocacy efforts to get these funds to local businesses, but also to childcare, an already pressed business.”
She encourages people to reach out to their legislators to encourage them to support childcare funding.