ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Daycares have been facing more financial burdens across New York state ever since the pandemic. This has led many child care providers to apply for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s child care assistance funding to make ends meet. However, other care centers were forced to merge, close, or even eliminate part-time care for families. 

It can leave parents like Christina States with difficult decisions on where to bring their kids while they’re at work.

“We started looking when we were like 10 weeks pregnant, like before we even announced to everyone else, because wait lists were so long," States said. "And then we found Home Away From Home."

She’s expecting her third child. Ally is four-and-a-half years old and Ryan is one-and-a-half.

“His smile is cute, that’s what keeps him out of trouble,” she explained about her son. “She’s excited to have a sister. Thankfully, it’s not a boy because I think she would have cried."

States says she’s thankful one big part of planning for their newest is taken care of.

“Everyone’s like, 'Oh how many kids do you have?' I’m like, '42 and then one of my own and like one on the way,'” the owner of Home Away From Home Child Care Center, Stephanie Lucas, said.

Lucas can relate to the need for daycare, and the stresses of the unknown while expecting another child. Child care can be difficult enough, but States needed a facility that could accommodate her part-time child care needs.

“Because I’m a nurse and work rotating shifts, it was either trying to find someone that would accommodate rotating schedules or pay full time which I didn’t want to do,” States laughed.

It’s a task a lot of parents working in hospitals, elsewhere in the medical field, or other industries that require working rotating hours or inconsistent days of the week, are facing. Many daycare providers are not able to provide that part-time care due to financial obligations and the need for flexible hours.

“If you allow a rotating schedule, you’re having that child take a full time spot that they’re paying part-time, right? But I’m not in it for the money," Lucas said. "I’m in it for helping families. So I’m open. I want to do that."

“It’s amazing, it really is," States said. "Everything is going up in this economy and [if] you’re fortunate enough to not have to pay full-time when you only need to send your kids three days a week, it’s great."

Providing flexibility for families has helped Lucas build unbreakable bonds with moms like States, who has always gone to Lucas first.

“I think this time Stephanie’s like one of the first people I told," States said. "I was like, we didn’t tell anyone, but I don’t know how long your waitlist is. So I’m just telling you that we’re having another one."

As more daycares close or are forced to hike up the price, Home Away From Home’s model is doubling in size.

“Even during COVID, I had a waitlist," Lucas said. "So it was like three years of like consistently having a waitlist. And I was so sick of having to tell parents 'No.' Like this is breaking my heart. I think it’s time to expand. This location can hold 120 kids. So I’m very excited about that. Just because there is such a need for daycare right now.”

Home Away From Home is opening a second location at 115 Indigo Creek Drive. It’s scheduled to open at the end of May 2024.

“It’s really nice that I can accommodate that. I mean, someone has to do it, right?” Lucas laughed.