ESCANABA - Local child care directors and coordinators say enrollment in daycare is noticeably down. One reason for this may be that more parents are turning to relatives and friends for care to help save on daycare costs.
The Escanaba Early Childhood Program (Head Start) offers free daycare, but director Kim Johnson said enrollment is still down.
"I could say probably that we have at least a 10 percent drop," she said. "We certainly are not serving all the children we have funding for from the state, which is unfortunate."
While Johnson said low birth rates may be a factor in the decline, she expects the center's part-time care creates a struggle for some parents who need all-day care for their children. For this reason, some parents might be forced to keep their children at home with a relative rather than sending them to preschool, said Johnson.
According to the Michigan League of Human Services, licensed relatives, and/or in-home aides (over 18 years of age) are eligible to receive a state subsidy if they provide care for a child - another incentive for parents to ask relatives to care for their child.
"It's a great small business for young families to bring in some young children," said Sue Ellison 4Cs childcare specialist and coordinator for Delta and Menominee counties. "As long as it's licensed."
4Cs Childcare Resource and Referral is an organization that addresses the challenges to the community's child care system and serves as a resource for the development of new programs.
As someone who assists families, child care providers, employers and others with their child care needs, Ellison said she too, has noticed more parents turning to relatives for child care.
"The vacancies in daycares are a reflection of this trend," said Ellison. "Parents are choosing family members, instead...someone locally who can help ease their financial burden."
Ellison said having a relative or well-known friend care for children may be the right decision for some parents, but there are also concerns if they do not have proper licensing.
"We're concerned about health and safety," she said. "Being licensed is a law in the state of Michigan. Does being unlicensed mean they're not qualified? No, but they're breaking the law."
Liz Cady, owner of Cady's Kidz Pre-School/Daycare, a home daycare, said calls for her service are more infrequent now. She is aware that some of her clients may be running into financial trouble.
"A couple of my clients lost their jobs and some have cut back due to money issues," she said.