MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Childcare centers across Manitowoc County are facing a critical staffing shortage, forcing about 2,400 local children to wait for care while providers struggle to recruit and retain qualified teachers.
Nearly 48,000 children statewide are waiting for childcare services, according to the Wisconsin Department of Child Services.
"The children are our future, and if we don't invest in our future now, when will we?" said Cheyenne Meyer, a lead teacher at Lakeshore Childcare in Manitowoc.
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Meyer and other providers point to demanding responsibilities coupled with low wages as key reasons fewer people are entering the childcare profession.
Lead teachers in Wisconsin earn about $13.50 an hour, less than half of the state's average hourly wage, according to state data.
"When we're short staffed it's really hard to give children those one-on-one connections that they all deserve," Meyer said.
The staffing crisis is forcing centers to adapt their operations, with many employees taking work home.
"A lot of teachers are going home and prepping during their free time," Meyer said.
Julie Grossman, CEO of Manitowoc/Two Rivers YMCA, says employee recruitment and retention continues to be a significant challenge at their childcare center.
"We could be doing more if there was a more robust job market out there and we could attract more employees," Grossman said.
The YMCA is planning to address these challenges by rethinking their business model.
"It's on all of us to come up with a business model that is more sustainable that does pay these teachers a wage that is appropriate for the level of professional work that they are doing," Grossman said.
Meanwhile, Lakeshore Childcare is intensifying its hiring efforts to meet the growing demand.
"If you have a passion for teaching children or you're really invested in our future and the children of the future, I would say work at a daycare, they're always needed, teachers are needed," Meyer said.
For now, many centers across the county remain focused on filling open positions, training new staff, and keeping classrooms open to serve as many families as possible.
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