Day Cares Around Abilene Experiencing Long Waiting Lists
By: Kristin Anderson
Updated: July 24, 2012
"It's makes it really hard on the parents and it makes it really hard on us because it's frustrating because, you know, we just don't have the room to put anyone else in," said Shelley Smith, director of All God's Children Day Care.
There are more kids than day cares know what to do with. And some child care services are seeing waiting lists of over 200 kids.
"Some kids, you know, it's a couple years before they can actually get into the center after being on the list," said Smith. "Parents will put them on the list when they're infants and they're usually two or so before we can get a lot of them in."
But it's a problem so big that even a new building couldn't minimize the giant list at All God's Children.
"Even after opening this new center a couple years ago, we thought, 'Oh, we'll add more classrooms and that'll cut down on some of the waiting list.' But it just, it still didn't really seem to help. We were still just always full and always had a waiting list," said Smith.
And while the list leaves parents waiting, day cares suggest looking at multiple care centers to avoid a longer wait.
"You know, it is hard to get in and we don't have a lot of vacancies come open. We just try to encourage them to put their name on as many lists as possible so that they have a good chance of getting in somewhere," Smith explained.
Smith said that even new child care services wouldn't completely eliminate the problem, but it would still help.
"We could definitely use more quality childcare in the area. It definitely couldn't hurt, that's for sure," she said. "We just, i don't know what it is i just know there just doesn't seem to be enough."
There are more kids than day cares know what to do with. And some child care services are seeing waiting lists of over 200 kids.
"Some kids, you know, it's a couple years before they can actually get into the center after being on the list," said Smith. "Parents will put them on the list when they're infants and they're usually two or so before we can get a lot of them in."
But it's a problem so big that even a new building couldn't minimize the giant list at All God's Children.
"Even after opening this new center a couple years ago, we thought, 'Oh, we'll add more classrooms and that'll cut down on some of the waiting list.' But it just, it still didn't really seem to help. We were still just always full and always had a waiting list," said Smith.
And while the list leaves parents waiting, day cares suggest looking at multiple care centers to avoid a longer wait.
"You know, it is hard to get in and we don't have a lot of vacancies come open. We just try to encourage them to put their name on as many lists as possible so that they have a good chance of getting in somewhere," Smith explained.
Smith said that even new child care services wouldn't completely eliminate the problem, but it would still help.
"We could definitely use more quality childcare in the area. It definitely couldn't hurt, that's for sure," she said. "We just, i don't know what it is i just know there just doesn't seem to be enough."
