‘Just too burnt out’: Child care crisis crunches providers

For the past eight years in the small town of Waupaca, Wisconsin, Susan Elandt has been a fixture for dozens of families – taking care of their children, some as early as 4:45am, so they can get to work.

For the past eight years in the small city of Waupaca, Wisconsin, Susan Elandt has been a fixture for dozens of families — taking care of their children, some as early as 4:45 a.m., so they can get to work. “Most of our parents, when they drop off, are like, ‘I could never do what you do,’” Elandt says. “And my response is always, ‘Well, I can’t do what you do either! So I’ll watch your kids and you go do that, because I’m better at this.’” Elandt is the owner and operator of My First Adventure Child Care and Preschool — but only for a few more weeks. She announced in May that she’s closing her doors before the end of August. “It’s emotionally and physically and mentally demanding,” Elandt says. “There’s not benefits. The pay is not anywhere near what it should be. And we don’t get a lot of professional recognition in the community, either, for the value of the work that we do.” Like so many centers around the country, My First Adventure is feeling the squeeze of a child care crisis that’s crippling parents and providers alike. Nationwide, the average yearly cost of care rose to $11,582 per child last year, according to Child Care Aware of America’s latest annual report. Placing two kids at a child care center cost at least 25% more than the typical rent, on average, in every state. And the tab exceeded annual typical mortgage payments in 45 states, plus the District of Columbia. The report looked at care for an infant and a 4-year-old.