Parents with children at the Augusta Health Childcare Center woke up Monday morning to an email with some bad news. Unless they work in the hospital network, they’d have to find somewhere else for their kids.
Jacie Grant said she was in tears after getting the news this morning and is already calling other places to find a place for her daughter.
“To wake up on a Monday morning and have to explain to your baby that Mommy’s okay and trying to explain away her tears in unfathomable,” Grant told AFP.
Beginning Feb. 1, the childcare center will only offer placement to employees. This will affect 37 families, according to Augusta Health.
Grant’s daughter has been at the center for just over a year after being on its waitlist for seven long months. Grant said her daughter “thrives there” with friends and amazing teachers.
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“I get the hospital wanting to prioritize their staff but at the expense of the community members that worked so hard to find good care and pay more for that care for their children is atrocious,” she said.
Grant thinks a better solution would have been to grandfather current families in but no longer enroll new families who don’t work at Augusta Health. She has reached out to the hospital to share her concerns and was told it was a “tough decision.”
In a news release, Augusta Health said it did not take the decision lightly but significant workforce shortages due to childcare forced its hand.
“We recognize that parents in the community will be challenged to find new childcare resources, and for that, we are deeply sorry,” said Crystal Farmer, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Augusta Health.
Grant has been busy today working the phones trying to find alternative care for her daughter. She’s frustrated to land back at square one, added to yet another waitlist. Due to the change, Augusta Health said it would waive the 30-day notice that is typically required if new childcare arrangements are found before Feb. 1.
A town hall meeting will be held for parents on Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mannix Conference Room at Augusta Health. The town hall was set up to provide more information and to engage in a discussion, according to a letter distributed to parents.
“Change is so hard on kids, and routine is so important,” she said. “To do this to working parents and their kids is a blow to the community.”
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Crystal Graham
