GA daycare owners worry about staying in business due to rising inflation
Childcare providers are feeling the financial strain of inflation. Some owners and operators said they are struggling to stay open due to the cost of supplies.
'The last six months is when it really started affecting me to the point where I started rebudgeting,' Analyn Meyers told Channel 2's Courtney Francisco.
She opened her daycare, Eden's Fruits, in Powder Springs five years ago.
She said inflation's impact on supplies like diapers and food could force her to shut down.
'If I don't get three more kids in here, I don't believe that I'll last by the, until the end of the year,' said Meyers.
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Dr. Pamela Robinson, Ph.D., owns TreeBranches Learning Academy in Smyrna. She's been embedded in the childcare industry for 20 years.
'I'm afraid, not only for myself, but other providers who are making a difference,' said Robinson.
She said smaller, family childcare providers in metro-Atlanta are starting to seriously struggle.
'Can't afford supplies, can't afford the food,' said Robinson.
She started growing her own garden. She said some are considering raising tuition, but she said parents already struggle to pay the price. So, that could drag down enrollment numbers.
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'I stay up at night trying to figure out how I'm going to make money,' said Robinson.
If they are forced to close, they predict parents could have trouble maintaining work and finding affordable care in an industry already struggling with low wages and staffing shortages.
'It's a domino effect and you are hurting children,' said Meyers.
They are part of a group of providers and parents who plan to rally outside the Capitol on Monday, May 12, in an effort to grab lawmakers' attention.
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