October marks the end of pandemic-era childcare assistance, and Northeast Ohio providers and families are bracing for the loss of funds.
“You can’t just expect us to watch your children. That’s not what we’re doing. We’re providing quality care with quality teachers. We’re setting these children up to be the future leaders of tomorrow,” said Zayna Durrah-Makupson, the director and co-owner of Tomorrow’s Leaders Childcare and Enrichment Center in Cleveland’s Corlett neighborhood.
Durrah-Makupson took over the building in 2020, almost immediately facing pandemic restrictions and supply shortages as she and her co-owners tried to renovate the facility. Since the Center opened in 2022, pandemic-related issues, staffing shortages, inflation and other difficulties have proven challenging for the fledgling business.
“We probably would’ve closed the doors had we not received the funding from the grants. It’s helped out tremendously,” Durrah-Makupson said.
At the end of September, childcare stabilization grants funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expired. The funding helped many centers weather the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and some expect providers to increase tuition and cut staff wages to compensate for the lost money.
It comes as childcare costs soar and many centers struggle to find and retain quality workers.
Durrah-Makupson said childcare vouchers have also been a challenge for many of her families. Some need child care so they can return to work, but once they do return, their income may exceed the level to qualify for vouchers. It has resulted in fluctuating numbers and staff for the center.
“It’s like I can’t have all 5 teachers on staff if we only have 6 kids today. So I’m sending employees home. It’s sad,” she explained.
According to a recent study by progressive think tank The Century Foundation, a so-called “Child Care Cliff” caused by the fallout of lost funding could force an estimated 70,000 childcare programs to shut down and leave more than 3 million American children without care.
In Ohio, the group estimates more than 2,000 providers could close their doors, stranding more than 134,000 Ohio children without care.
“It really is a perfect storm on the other side, not the good side, because they’re losing their ARPA money, but also their grants are in limbo,” said Dr. Thea Wilson, the Vice President of Children and Families at Step Forward.
She explained the Cuyahoga County organization has been anticipating the loss of ARPA funding and is well-positioned to leverage other funding. Recently, other Head Start programs around the country have also been closely watching the possibility of a government shutdown.
Step Forward receives its federal grants in February, but other Head Start locations who are funded in the fall could see a temporary loss of money to pay staff and run programming.
“A lot of our families are very concerned,” said Trinea Welch, a mother of 3 who works at Step Forward. “They’re wondering - ‘How’s this going to affect my child going to school? How is this going to affect us in the long run?’ Some of the other mothers that are pregnant are wondering, ‘Are you all going to be open? Am I going to have to find somewhere else for my child to go?’”
Durrah-Makupson hears similar concerns from the families she serves. She said Tomorrow’s Leaders is not at the point of making staffing cuts, but she worries a long-term loss of funding could have dire consequences for the center.
“We’re still going to remain hopeful that something gives and that the legislators are listening to the owners and to the families, and really hearing us out, and really understanding that we need to work together in order to support each other,” she said.
