Family

Triangle parents looking for child care run into waitlists

Day cares in the Triangle are filling up as more parents shift back to a routine of heading into work.

Posted Updated

By
Nia Harden
, WRAL reporter
ANGIER, N.C. — Day cares around the triangle are filling up and It’s leaving many parents with few options.

WRAL contacted several day cares and were told they have waitlists. Daycare owners tell us the pandemic created a need for more parents than usual.

Parents working from home and those who aren't working right now are enrolling their children because they want them to socialize with other kids. That’s not including the number of people who are heading back to the office or moving to the area.

Lesley Thomas just opened True Vine Child Care Center in Angier and she’s seeing it first hand. While she still has some spots open, she doesn’t think they will last long.

“There are so many facilities that have a waitlist that is a year out because of the shortage of daycare’s and those daycare‘s that had to close down and space. Centers are at their ratio or at their quota and they can’t take anymore smaller children,” said Thomas.

Thomas said the phone has been ringing and people are planning for child care months in advance.

“You have parents that are now calling around, looking for space for next year-enrollment that have not even delivered their children yet. It’s really crazy out there.”

Thousands of parents statewide are still waiting for child care assistance. The North Carolina DHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education told WRAL more than 20,000 children under the age of 6 are on the waitlist for child care assistance through North Carolina’s Child Care Subsidy program.

To find available child care options, visit the state's database of child care facilities.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.