It's not every year that a school holiday slows down business for Debbie's Care Center in Evansville, but the recent three-week holiday break for Natrona County's students has done exactly that.
Owner Debbie Bloxom said several of the children she regularly cares for have been at home with their parents, who have taken time off to care for their older children.
"It's actually affected my business greatly," Bloxom said. "A lot of parents have had to arrange to take vacation time because the break is so long."
The long break has also prompted parents to ask their current child-care providers if there's any way an older sibling can tag along with their younger brother or sister.
Jackie Kautzmann, the director of Learning Junction Children's Center, had to turn down those requests from parents because of space issues. Currently, only children not enrolled in school attend Learning Junction.
"Child care is in really high demand," Kautzmann said. "It's not just during the school year."
And at Kids Works in Casper, owner Cheri Corbett estimated an additional 50 children had been dropped off at the center during the first week of the holiday break.
"Most everybody we get back are kids that grew up here," Corbett said. "It's a great reunion time for us."
The increase in children going to Kids Works is something Corbett and her staff members plan ahead for each year. They create games, crafts, plays and other activities to keep the children engaged and busy while they're at Kids Works.
"It's kind of a curriculum for them too, so their brains don't forget what they've learned in school," she said.
Corbett said she hasn't heard a lot of parents concerned about finding child care for this year's three week holiday break. Planning for a random half-day of school or a day off mid-week seems to cause the most headaches, she said.
"I think that this is a little bit easier for parents to plan long-term, either to take vacation or set up long-term child care," Corbett said.
Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com.
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Parent wrote on Jan 2, 2009 7:15 AM:
iluvmykids wrote on Jan 2, 2009 12:55 PM:
Sisterella wrote on Jan 2, 2009 1:48 PM:
A parent wrote on Jan 4, 2009 6:39 PM:
If you're going to leave your kids in the care of someone else, such as day care, or school, then you have to work with the school or daycare. If they are not willing to work with you then either you have to bend, or not leave YOUR kids in their care. If your kids are giving you headaches, or if they are a problem to be at home then CHANGE something, and that wouldn't be your kids!
Sorry, but this is the second article that I have read this weekend in the Trib about parents irritated with their kids being home! I love my kids at home, I don't want them mixed up in the dumb school system, and the sad thing is this is a better than most school system. Hence the reason we home school. I agree that school breaks are ridicules. We don't have "breaks", life doesn't have "breaks", work doesn't have "breaks". We school in real life! Day in and day out, Night and day. Learning just doesn't happen between 8-3 during the fall and spring, and ages 6-18! I am 35 and I am still learning and will until the day I die!
So I'll get off my soap box now and breath now, and say a little prayer. God Bless to all of the parents no matter what the situation. Parenting isn't easy, so don't expect it to be. :-) "
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