Syracuse, NY (NCC News)- As schools across Central New York remain remote or completely online, daycare providers are suffering. Not only do they have to care for the children, they also have to become teachers.
Chrissy Saucier is a daycare provider in Waterloo, New York. She has been an in-home daycare provider for about 16 years now. In 16 years she has never raised her rates. But because the kids she provides for are now online learning, she says she felt as though she had to raise them.
“So when I released my new contract in September, I raised all of my rates a couple dollars, just in general, across the board,” Saucier said. “Because I am in such high demand as a caregiver.”
She also added a 20-dollar fee, that includes teaching zoom classes, on top of the daily rate.
“It’s nothing against the parents, it’s not like I’m trying to punish them,” Saucier said. “But at the same time, I feel like I’m doubling my workload by essentially having to assist the children in doing everything.”
Saucier has had to follow strict capacity limits provided by New York State, and has had to turn down clients. She also has to thoroughly clean her house everyday, spraying bleach water on the toys that the kids used that day.
“After moving from each toy group, or moving to the next activity, we go and wash our hands,” Saucier said. “Just so like that kind of cross contamination can be taken down.”
But even though Saucier has to follow all of these restrictions, she still provides care five days a week.
