How are daycares holding up amid pandemic?

BISMARCK, N.D. – A lot of parents had to work from home in 2020, and now that things are opening back up, we wondered if daycares felt the impact.

Whitney Benter drops her son off at Just Like Home Family Childcare five days a week and while she’s self-employed, she was grateful to be able to bring her child to daycare through the entire pandemic.

“Daycare providers were here for us parents and they really, really work with us, and I said I think they deserve a world of gratitude,” said Benter.

Just Like Home Family Childcare owner Aimee Jo Martinek says when the pandemic first hit, she was able to keep the majority of her clients coming in.

But she’s heard that wasn’t the case for other providers.

“Kind of in the beginning I know one provider lost a lot. Like, she had, I think, like, ten kids and lost all but two,” said Martinek.

Martinek says the problem may not just be a lack of space.

“I know it is definitely hard to get in nowadays, especially ‘cause an infant spot is hard to get, and I know there’s lots of babies being born around this time,” Martinek.

Martinek says she’s licensed for 12 kids and right now she has ten and a couple that come part-time and there is one on the waiting list.