Large, rural Iowa day care at risk of temporary shut down over staffing issues
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Updated: 10:25 PM CDT May 18, 2021
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Updated: 10:25 PM CDT May 18, 2021
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WEBSITE AND THE KETV MOBILE APP. JULIE: ONE OF MILLS COUNTY’S LARGEST DAY CARE FACILITIES SAYS IS AT RISK OF SHUTTING DOWN OVER STAFFING ISSUES. ROB: THE COORDINATOR OF DSKI PLACE IS STEPPING DOWN. AND IF NO ONE FILLS RHE POSITION, THE GLENWOOD FACILITY SAYS IT MAY HAVE TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE. JULIE: KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S SARAH FILI INVESTIGATE >> MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR SEATBELTS ON. SARAH: ERIC COLLINS PICKS UP HIS 3 KIDS FROM KIDS PLACE IN GLENWOOD, IOWA, THE FACILITY HAS ENBE OPEN SINCE HE WAS A K.ID HE WENT THERE,OO. T NOW PARENTS ARE LEARNING RIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL LETS OUT THAT THE DAYCARE MAY HAVE TO CLOSE. >> THE TIMING IS SUBOPTIMAL, I'M NOT REALLY SURE, IT’S KIND OF ALARMING IF THEY DO CLOSE WN. SARAH: COLLINS SAYS HE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THE CENTER WAS AT RISK OF A CLOSURE AND SAYS HE’S NOT SURE WHAT H’'D DO WITH HIS CHILDREN. >> FINDING OTHER ACCOMODATNSIO FOR 3 KIDS WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT SO I HOPE THEY FIND SOMEONE. SARAH: THAT SOMEONE IS A NEW COORDINATOR FOR KIDS PLACE. AN EMAIL SENT TO PARENTS SAYS BECAUSE THE CURRENT COORDINARTO HAS RESIGNED, THE FACILITYAY M NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO ERE.OP IT SAYS "WE ARE IN NEED OF AN INTERIM COORDINATOR TO BE ABLE TO KEEP KIDS PLACE OPEN UNTIAL GURELAR REPLACEMENT CABEN FOUND." THE EMAIL ASKS FAMILIES TO REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COORDINATOR POSITION AND REACH OUT TO ANYONE QUALIFIED, ’ST' BASED ON A POINTS SYSTEM IN IO. THE EMAIL SAYS "EVERYONE’S HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED IN HE LPING RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, SO KIDS PLACE AND ITS FAMILIES WON’T HAVE TO HAVE THEIRAR C INTERRUPTED BY A TEMPORARY CLOSURE." >> WHETHER IT WAS A WE TEK WEEKS, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. SARAH: JESSICA PEREZ SAYS HER DAUGHTERS LOVE KIDS PLACE, AND SHE SAYS IT’S ONE OF THE ONLY LARGE-SCALE DAYCARES IN THE AREA, MEANING MANY FAMILIES COULD BE LEFT SCRAMBLING. >> THIS IS FROM MY KNOWLEDE THE ONLY DAYCAREAC FILITY IN MLS COUNTY SO ITS A HUGE, HUGE PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND I THINK THERE’S CLOSE 1TO00 KIDS THAT ARE ENROLLED. SARAH: SHE SAYS IN HOME DAYCARES IN THE AREA WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO ABSORB THAT AMOUNT OF CHILDREN, AND OTHERS NRBY EAHAVE WAITLIS.ST >> I DONT KNOW WAHT I WOULD , I WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH MY KIDS FROM HOME, WHICH IS NOT IDEAL, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME RNPATS TAHT MIGHT HAVE TO ITQU THEIR JOBS. SARAH: IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS HAS ADDRESSED THE ISSUE BEFORE, CREATING A CHILD CARE TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS A DAYCEAR DESERT ACROSS THE STATE. PEREZ SAYS THE KIDS PLACE ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS THAT CRITICAL NEED. >> IT INGSBR TO LIGHT HOW REMO WE ARE IN THE WORLD WE ARE LIVINGN. I SARAH: SHE HOPES SOMEONE QUALIFIED WILL STEP IN SOON TO KEEP THIS COMMUNITY STAPLE UP AND RUNNING. >> KIDPLS ACE IS AN AMAZING, AMAZING FACILITY. SARAH: SARAH FILI, KETV NEWSWATCH JULIE: KIDS PLACE TOLD US THEY HAD NO COMMENT, BUT AN EMAIL TO A GROUP OF PARENTS SAYS THEY HAVE HAD A FEW PEOPLE APPLY FOR THE POSITION. IF YOU’RE QUALIFIED OR INTERESTED IN THE REQUIREN