'It might mean shutting down': Child care centres struggling amid high staff and child sickness
High absentee rates and staff shortages are causing some child care centres to close or reduce their hours.
KidFit 60, a childcare centre for pre-school aged children with a focus on being active, is experiencing a large number of kids away sick.
"Last week, I'm going to say we had about ten children gone from the downstairs room and 16 gone from the upstairs, so a lot of absences lately," said Kaylyn Davis, an early childhood educator at KidFit 60.
That's almost 40 percent of their program, extreme numbers other daycares are also facing.
"This week, especially today, we are at 50 per cent, so we have had a significant increase in absenteeism in children," said Lynda Raible, executive director of Earl Grey Children's Centre.
A recent survey from the Manitoba Child Care Association found 87 per cent of facilities are seeing high levels of illness.
On average, a quarter of children were out sick, but some reported absentee rates as high as 60 per cent.
"I have been in the early childhood system for over 30 years. I don't think I've seen this level of illness in my time. Like this is really significant," said Jodie Kehl, the association's executive director.
Kehl said the most common illnesses reported inside childcare facilities right now are the common cold and flu, with RSV and COVID-19 contributing to the problem.
STAFFING ISSUES
On top of absentee children, child care centres are also seeing staff calling in sick.
"We have had a lot of staff shortages," said Davis. "We have had staff with bronchitis and just the flu itself. It's hard to get staff on call just because there are shortages all in Winnipeg right now."
While most daycares have been able to balance the staff-to-child ratio amid the influx of sick calls, it can cause major problems when they're short.
This is resulting in facilities having to make some dire decisions right now in terms of reducing their hours of operation," said Kehl.
"A few facilities have actually had to close their door for a couple of days until their staff is well enough to come back and resume operations."
An unwanted yet very real option places like Earl Grey Children's Centre are facing.
"It might mean closing early. It might mean asking parents to pick them up. It might mean shutting down for the day or shutting down programs," said Raible.
Raible said it can be a big but necessary strain on parents for their kids to stay home sick.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer's disease
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
B.C. court date set for 3 accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.