AUSTIN, Texas — While the stimulus package includes relief for small businesses, federal lawmakers did not follow through with national child care advocates’ request for $50 billion in emergency funding to keep the industry intact. 

  • Child care is considered essential business
  • Attendance has been low
  • Some have temporarily closed their doors

In many cases, child care providers remain open because they are considered to be critical infrastructure. The dramatic decrease in attendance, however, has forced closures and the fear is they’ll close permanently. 

Before the surge in coronavirus cases, the Ebenezer Child Development Center in East Austin was serving 45 children. On Wednesday, there were just nine. Even with the stay-at-home order, some parents have essential jobs in the health care industry, grocery services, restaurants, and social services.  

“We’re doing our part to help with the virus situation. There are parents who are essential to the success of ending this epidemic,” Leroy Davis, executive director of Ebenezer Child Development, said.   

The stimulus deal Congress passed provides child care assistance to essential workers but falls short of carving out relief for providers.   

This week, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Early Care and Education Consortium joined organizations from the child care sector to request up to $50 billion in emergency stimulus funding. Still, with the approved stimulus package in place, there would be more than $350 billion available in emergency and loan forgiveness grants to small businesses to cover rent, mortgage, utilities, and payroll.  

Davis said among several concerns, he is worried about being able to purchase disinfectants, cleaning supplies, and gloves, as well as food for the children’s meals, since grocery store administrators fight to keep their shelves stocked. He also had to send most of his staff home. 

“When the attendance is not there on a regular basis that does impact the teachers' paychecks,” Davis said.  

Patsy Harnage has worked in the child care sector for 14 years. She said she left the entertainment industry in hopes of raising the high school graduation rate. 

“You're not going to get rich in the child care industry, you have to have a passion. I have a passion for children, I have a passion for giving. That's why I do what I do, to make a difference in their lives, to give them the tools that they're going to need to succeed in life,” she said.  

Harnage runs Bright Beginnings Child Care in North Austin, which serves about 90 young Texans and employs 13 staffers. It has been closed for about two weeks. Harnage was already operating her program on low margins. 

“Before the pandemic, sometimes, the invoices, the tuitions don't cover my monthly expenses. Then I would have to go into my personal savings or run credit cards just to meet payroll at times. I'm worried about my families, I’m worried about my staff members, as well. How are they going to make a living if I'm barely striving to, you know, to maintain?” Harnage said. 

The facility has since gone through a deep cleaning. Harnage said she wants to reopen to help essential workers, but she is unsure how to cover operating costs without something like a grant.  

“It saddens me that I can’t give my staff any information about how they’re going to pay their bills, how they’re going to pay their rent,” she said.