Monroe County has lost 69 childcare programs, 1,700 spots, since before pandemic

Armett Barnes runs Armett’s Care and Share Family Daycare in East Irondequoit. “We did not know what COVID meant, I didn’t know what it meant for my program I had no clue, it was very overwhelming,” she tells News10NBC.  She stayed afloat during the pandemic with the help of stabilization grants offered by the state and county. “I’m not sure if I would be standing here if we didn’t have it,” Barnes says.

For months, Barnes’ phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from families looking to see if she has any open spots, she doesn’t. “A lot of times the people that I know that are really great providers, they’re full too so that’s the issue,” she says.

Or, the providers are just no longer open. The Children’s Agenda just finished a study on the current childcare situation across New York State.  It found that statewide, there are 1,326 fewer childcare programs than there were before the pandemic which amounts to 10,554 fewer spots for children with parents who need to work.