We all know that many businesses were forced to transition and literally refocus and rebuild during the pandemic. One of the businesses that were directly impacted and needed to change its protocols is childcare centers. ScoopVIZION wanted to share some of the challenges and the improvements to the quality of services that childcare centers experienced. We reached out to several childcare centers, and many declined an interview, but we were blessed with an interview with Marcia Finn, the owner of BrightStart Early Care in Washington, DC. Thank you, Marcia, for sharing your story with ScoopVIZION.
It is no surprise that the past year has been a rollercoaster ride for us. All facets of life have been impacted. Most notably, public infrastructure, the workforce, small business, and how we live our daily lives have changed indefinitely. As individuals sought to find a sense of normalcy, the reality of grappling with a change in childcare and availability of services made an even greater impact on how we move about our lives.
As public education has shifted to distance learning throughout the past year to mitigate the spread of the virus, households across the country have adapted to a changing atmosphere of work, daily routines, and perhaps most significantly, childcare. According to the Census Bureau, homeschooling has increased by 5.6% during the 2020-2021 school year. With numbers continuing to climb, this shift in education has changed the numbers of homeschoolers, the biggest increase was seen between 1999 and 2012.
Reports published in late May depicted public school reopenings, and early childcare centers have followed along with the same beat, contrasting from the statistics present early last year in December 2020. Where, according to CNBC, 1 and 4 daycare centers remained closed. One establishment in Washington, DC, is a prime example of how education and child care have improved following proper protocol. At BrightStart Early Care and Preschool, quality childcare has been at the forefront of the pandemic, with renewed procedures to sustain the increase of demand for adequate childcare, preschool, and other youth services.
Marcia Finn, a native of Dominica, a small island in the Caribbean migrated to the United States over two decades ago. A mother of two, she desired to provide the best quality childcare education for her children during their development years. After touring several regional facilities, she quickly noticed that there were key elements in childcare that were lacking across the board.
Faced with deplorable conditions, she began to offer childcare services in her D.C. home that soon expanded to include several other children in her neighborhood, alongside her daughter. Soon after, the vision for Bright Start sparked. With a mission centered on quality childcare, education, and engagement, the pandemic has since catapulted the need for quality childcare and has highlighted further discrepancies within the childcare arena.
Finn felt a calling to supplement quality childcare by supplying what was lacking in this field. With her background in nursing, she aimed to include a working business model that was built on the pillars of quality working hours for employees, paid sick leave, and other hands-on incentives for employees, creating a sustainable environment for balance and a productive, family-friendly life-style overall.
“When I migrated here, I came to provide service as a nurse. I was a Certified Pediatric Nurse for 25 years. In between that, I had a family. What I learned was that people were working long hours. They were underpaid, had no benefits, and they were under-appreciated. Within my business model, I decided that I was going to change that-at least show appreciation by making a living wage. I provided some form of compensation for paid time off, family leave,” Finn stated when asked about her process of finding and enhancing childcare.
At the height of the pandemic, procedures quickly changed across the board. Not only did public health protocol from the governmental sphere impact reopenings for childcare centers nationwide, it greatly affected BrightStart. Since reopening last spring, due to investment into UV lighting systems, infections and illness from COVID-19 have been mitigated.
Despite parents’ initial shock, their concerns quickly faded. With hands-on protocol and around-the-clock cleaning, no surface goes untouched. Masking, sanitization, and other methods have also resulted in a cleaner environment, with business demands increasing and slowly returning to normal. Across the board, the CDC enforced regulations that hindered upon decreased capacity, social distancing, vaccinations for employees, and adherence to state, federal, and local laws.
“[The machine] was a testimony to us. We were always clean, but the pandemic made us dazzled. It really took us up to the next level,” Finn stated.
A clean environment has allowed children to thrive, but there have been a few surrounding challenges to tackle. The owner explains how she was surprised by the children’s reaction and their quick grasp of the concept of the pandemic with their ability to adapt quickly to health code protocols. Despite mask-wearing making an impediment to the younger children and newborns’ interaction, social distancing has made the course of engagement all the more sentimental between provider and child, as understanding, compassion, empathy, and communication have been further emphasized.
“The babies that you have to hold are looking at you straight in the eye. You are talking to them, but they can’t see your mouth. They stare at you since they can’t see your mouth. “Are you done with your milk?” “When you’re done, we’re going to go outside.” “We’re going to have tummy time after your meal.” Things like that, especially for the younger ones where they couldn’t see that direct movement or have the close nurturing hugging we normally do in childcare? That’s how it changed. We feel kind of standoffish, but even though you have to keep a distance, it’s about comforting a child,” she said.
Not only have parents and children been affected, but as a sole proprietor of BrightStart, many abrupt changes have forced the center to adapt to new procedures during the pandemic. The owner describes how the business had taken a hit during the initial quarter. BrightStart worked with savings as a backup and assistance from other emergency government funding and many small-scale operations that kept their operations alive.
“Our capacity had to be cut by almost 50%. As a business owner, I didn’t know what was going to be today or tomorrow. Initially, I thought, how are we going to survive? I decided I am going to do whatever it takes. I’m going to fight for this. Whatever I had to do, I was willing to do it. We began by reassuring employees, having group time, Zoom meetings three and four times a week to put people in a positive mindset getting people the right in- formation that was out there,” Finn stated.
Furthermore, the pandemic exposed many of the inadequacies that have been present within the childcare sector overall. Many other effects hinged on affordability and accessibility, a concern that Finn believes should be emphasized with new legislation from the ground up.
“Now that business is running again, it is so expensive, and it shouldn’t just be for those who can afford it. It should be for all. I think a change for public assistance and national assistance into childcare can really help level the playing field out. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between quality and just putting their child anywhere because they have to work. They should be able to put their child wherever they choose and have the peace of mind that the child is receiving that engagement, stimulation, and exposure to a variety of activities, a variety of materials, and a variety of diverse populations. Don’t be segregated because you cannot afford it or it’s too expensive. We are developing brains and future leaders. It’s that simple. Give us the best so that we can give the best for the future,” she said.
This week, Philadelphia, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and other cities have lifted COVID-19 social distancing restrictions across the board. Throughout the coming summer weeks, more children will return to childcare services. As the nation braces for reopening, a light has been shone on the needs of the childcare sector. These frontline workers must be given the recognition due.
Appreciation is necessary across the board. As the pandemic has exposed the strain and stress many frontline workers face, a great change is needed for this dynamic. Finn envisions an environment in which the benefits provided to public school educators are extended to childcare and other related workers. A special card, kindness, and affirmation for childcare workers go a great length. On the backend of this sector, making retirement, disability, benefits, pension, and other plans more affordable is also an ideal and would further enrich the lives of caretakers.
“We are getting these children ready for them. If anything, we should be getting back the same appreciation or benefits to feel valuable. I think during this pandemic, Early Childcare provided a look into value. People want to be appreciated. I would love them to see that they can do what they love and also take care of their family in terms of their health and financial well-being,” Finn proclaimed.
The center will soon open a new facility in Northeast DC, accommodating over 80 children, and continue offering services including Infant, Toddler, Pre-school, Summer Camp, and Before and After School courses.
“We’re expanding. There is such a great need for it,” Finn declared.
Sources:https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/0 3/homeschooling-on-the-rise-during-covid-19-pandemic.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-childcare.html
