Reopening costs straining Mass. child care system - State House News Service
By Matt Murphy
At the Open Center for Children in Somerville, Executive Director Sarah Sian is working through the logistics of reopening the child care center after being closed for months due to the pandemic.
When the center does reopen, Sian said Tuesday, she will only be able to welcome back half of the students in order to comply with state safety regulations. That means she will also be forfeiting 50 percent of the center’s monthly revenue while needing to also keep all of her staff to comply with the safety rules.
“We will begin operating again at a loss of tens of thousands of dollars every month. At that rate we will deplete our reserves and be at risk of closure in a few months,” Sian said Tuesday on a call with other providers and parents…
“Through investments in infrastructure and loan assistance, this bill will dramatically improve both the working conditions and affordability of the early childhood field,” said Naila Bolus, the CEO of the national early education non-profit Jumpstart, based in Boston. “Representative Clark’s loan assistance proposal is urgently needed to recruit and retain new early educators and to provide a lifeline to those already in the field who are struggling to make ends meet.”