Day-Care Providers Face Many Challenges

The words “day care” might conjure up images of screaming kids, stinky diapers and goldfish crackers.

But the children are not the most difficult part of the business, according to the day-care providers interviewed this week by Handle Extra.

“The biggest, most difficult aspect is definitely the finance aspect,” said Alyson Wayman, director of Discovery Daycare. Child care costs are very high. Paying the staff what they are worth is a huge challenge.

“Certified teachers don’t want to work for the wages (child-care providers) are paid,” she said. She said her staff is “totally awesome” and she wouldn’t trade them for certified teachers.

“They give their lives to the children,” Wayman said. She added that they go home physically exhausted because they work so hard.

Discovery Daycare is a full-time Christian-only day care that provides preschool and kindergarten education. They care for children as young as 2 months and up to first grade. Discovery is owned by the Lincoln Way Church of God, 521 Emma Ave. in Coeur d’Alene.

Wayman said the day care has chosen to care for only children who spend the whole day there.

“Kids that go full time are more settled,” Wayman said. The children are able to adjust better to the time away from their parents when they spend all five days at the day care. She said they also learn better during the preschool and kindergarten years.

Satisfying parents is the biggest challenge for Daystar Christian Day Care, said Shelaine Thorson. It’s difficult to please all of the parents because there are 30 kids and each of the 60 parents has something different that is important to them.

“I think in child care it is very important to be sure every child’s needs are met,” Thorson said. “I love working with the kids.”

Daystar is a Christian day-care center located at 9306 Government Way in Hayden.

Kristy Groff, owner of Auntie Kristy’s Daycare, agreed that dealing with the parents is the most difficult aspect of the job. Not because they are rude or stupid, but because they need reminders to do things like bring diapers or shoes.

Another challenge is dealing with parents who do not pay their bill. She said she had to go to court over a $1,700 day-care bill that a parent would not pay.

“The kids are wonderful. I work with great kids,” Groff said. Groff takes care of five children full time out of her home in Post Falls. She worked for a time at a day-care center but left to start her own business. She said that she is able to give kids a lot of attention, which keeps the kids from acting out to get attention.

She offers 24-hour day-care service so that she can be more competitive. When asked when she sleeps, she laughed and said “I sleep on the couch after the kids go to sleep at around 8 p.m.”