Monterey Peninsula parents scrambling to find child care options for holidays
MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) Families in Monterey are left scrambling for child care during the holidays after a new child care provider at the Presidio of Monterey says they will not be able to open just yet.
The current child care provider, KinderCare, is planning to shut their doors on Dec. 13, but because the new provider needs to renovate the building, conduct staff orientations and go through a licensing process, it could be some weeks until the day care center is open again.
"We look forward to seeing how quickly we can continue to meet the families and communities needs," said Elizabeth Parker Phillips, a senior executive at Continuing Development Inc.
The City of Monterey held a community forum at city hall Thursday night with parents who are still interested in continuing with child care services, but there was a slight panic when it was revealed things might not be opening up as soon as they expected.
"A month's a long time because there's definitely not enough vacation time or anything to handle that," said Lisa Anthony, a Monterey parent who recently had a new born child. "My parents and my husband's parents aren't around here so we don't have any of the help."
"Well as parent who have to work, it concerns us a lot, but we've gotten some time ahead to figure out what we can do," said another mother from Monterey who did not want to be named.
Some parents say they are getting together and hiring a private teacher to take care of their infants in the interim period, but others are hoping the daycare will open sooner rather than later.
"We have already found a backup daycare nanny who's willing to stay with us at least until February, so I've got January pretty much covered, but anything after that is going to be panic time," said Anthony.
The new providers say they do not anticipate the permit process to take long; they have already started on it. But they say they are hoping to open in January.
"I'm a firm believer that things will come together," said the unnamed Monterey mother.
The city says the new child care provider is committed to staying in Monterey until 2024.
