Childcare workforce shortage impacts Fresno families

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- When childcare became too costly for Emily Perez, she knew she had to find a new place to take her three-year-old son. But the search to find the right place wasn't easy.

"It is super competitive, that's why I am super fortunate that he got in at the time that he did," she said.

Through Central Valley Children's Services Network, Fresno County's resource and referral agency, she found a preschool at Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries in Central Fresno.

"It was just best case scenario," said Emily. "It all worked out at the right timing. I was definitely fortunate."

Options are becoming more limited. U.S. Labor statistics show that between February 2020 and September 2022, there was a 9.7% drop in the childcare workforce.

Yesenia Amador says at FIRM, staff hasn't been as stable since the pandemic.

"With staffing, it's been up and down," said Amador. "I feel like some of it was fear of catching COVID and the children coming in with symptoms."

Central Valley Children's Services Network works with more than 80 local providers and runs three of its own centers. They have been offering incentives including referral bonuses and wellness days to try to attract and retain employees

"We are pretty much just hiring throughout the whole year," said Christina Avila of Central Valley Children's Services Network. "We never know when another teacher is going to move elsewhere or is no longer working."

Avila says the saving grace for Children's Services Network is that their enrollment hadn't rebounded to pre-pandemic numbers.

"If that was not the case and we were in full capacity with children, we definitely would be in a little bit of a crisis because we wouldn't have the right amount of staff," she said.

For those who are still searching for the right childcare, Emily offers this advice to other parents -- be persistent.

"Honestly, you just have to pick up the phone and just keep going because nobody is going to do it for you," she said.

For more information on Central Valley Children's Services Network, click here.