Some distressing news, at the end of what I hoped would be a generally upbeat editorial series about a soon-to-be-open childcare center, Wings Early Childhood Center.
Yesterday in Part Four, we posted a 2015 Facebook list of childcare facilities in Pagosa Springs, which included seven licensed daycare homes operated by local mothers and grandmothers who love caring for children.
Judy Graham Daycare
Marie’s Daycare
Learning Tree Daycare
Shonda’s Daycare
Teresa’s Lil’ Blessings
Tiff’s Lil’ Cubs Childcare
Wee Toddle Inn
Phone calls to these mothers and grandmothers revealed that only four of the seven will still be operating as licensed daycare providers in 2020: Marie’s Daycare, Shonda’s Daycare, Teresa’s Lil’ Blessings, and Tiff’s Lil’ Cubs Childcare.
Additionally, three of those four remaining home-based operations are run by women with many years of childcare experience, but who are now approaching retirement age. It would appear that the only young mother in Archuleta County, who will be operating a licensed family childcare home in 2020, is Tiffany Wilkins, who runs ‘Tiff’s Lil Cubs Childcare’ in Aspen Springs.
“I know this is where I’m supposed to be, but I also know it’s not an easy job for just anyone to jump into,” said Ms. Wilkins in a phone interview yesterday. “But we’re going to be in a real pickle soon. Most of the other ladies have been in this job for 20-plus years, and what happens when they are ready to retire?”
She mentioned that La Plata County had, at one point, been offering financial incentives to moms willing to become licensed providers.
“They were giving out, I think, $1000 to help get you started, to cover start-up costs and stuff. And even with that offer, it didn’t seem to entice people. And I know that new place… is it called ‘Wings’? And I know Jan [former Archuleta County Education Center coordinator Jan Santopietro] had called around and spoke to all of us, asking questions and asking ‘How can we get more childcare slots in the community?’ I think they’re going to be taking kids as young as 1 year, so that should open some additional slots for infants.”
A licensed family daycare home is limited to a maximum of two children under the age of 2. If Wings Early Childhood Center does indeed open this coming November, and if it does indeed accept children as young as 1 year, that would help accommodate parents with infant children, who have the hardest time finding care.
“And I told Jan, this is the kind of job that you just have to have the heart and passion for. And how do you find those kinds of people? I’m just not sure. When the job has no benefits, no health insurance and stuff like that… when somebody could go to work at the grocery store or at Walmart and get some benefits for their family. That’s one of the hard parts about this job. Even with the childcare centers like Seeds of Learning and Head Start, there’s only so much they can offer, to entice people to be in this profession. It’s a real community problem.”
We agreed it’s a problem facing just about every community in the nation.
“I know this is where I’m supposed to be. I just hope we can find more people who have a passion for these kids. Because, you know, it just trickles down to everyone. It’s so hard when the person at the other end of the phone is in tears because they can’t find childcare, and they say, ‘I need to go back to work; what am I supposed to do?’ I mean, we have parents who call when they’re pregnant, to get on the waiting list, just trying to find a spot.”
Ms. Wilkins outlined some of the steps required to be a licensed home — which then allows up to a certain number of children under the care of a qualified adult. (Unlicensed homes, meanwhile, are limited to caring for no more than 4 children daily.) The licensing process didn’t sound too ominous.
“It’s a matter of checking off certain things, making sure the home is safe. And background checks are required for every adult living in the home. All of those are great requirements. It’s a process, for sure, but if you’re doing it for the right reasons, you just go through a checklist of what needs to be done to your home, the space where the children will be, and the people coming in and out of your home or who live in your home, they’re all necessary steps…
“The licensing specialist in our area — she works out of Durango — she is awesome. And she has said before, if anyone wants to get a license, she would be more than happy to answer any questions they might have.”
That specialist is named Amy Davlin; she can be reached at 970-556-1987.
Tiffany continued: “You can go on the Colorado website and get the information you need about getting licensed, but Amy is aware of what a huge need we have; she handles the whole southwest corner of Colorado. She’s just super kind, and willing to help.”
I did in fact visit various State of Colorado websites while writing this editorial series, and found it rather difficult to locate certain types of information. So a young mom — perhaps one who has young children of her own, and is thinking about starting a family daycare home — might be wise to begin with a phone call to Amy Davlin.
Or, for that matter, a phone call to any of the local mothers and grandmothers who are currently doing home-based childcare. Everyone I spoke to while researching this article understands the desperate need for childcare in our community.
And everyone I spoke to, is very concerned about Pagosa’s future… as a viable place for young families.