{"id":2458920,"date":"2020-05-27T22:32:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T04:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/child-care-facilities-in-aspen-to-open-next-week-challenges-ahead\/"},"modified":"2020-05-27T22:32:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-28T04:32:00","slug":"child-care-facilities-in-aspen-to-open-next-week-challenges-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/child-care-facilities-in-aspen-to-open-next-week-challenges-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Child care facilities in Aspen to open next week, challenges ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/childcare-atd-082119.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/childcare-atd-082119.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/childcare-atd-082119-300x195.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After over two months on hiatus due to COVID-19, day care facilities in the Aspen area are set to open Monday, which will be a relief for hundreds of parents throughout Pitkin County.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Facilities are limited to 10 children in a group and classrooms will be designed around 6-foot social distancing practices, according to <a id=\"N0x29dcdb0N0x2ae30f0:N0x29dcdb0N0x2bb2210\" href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/safer-at-home\/safer-at-home-child-care-facilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">state and local public health orders<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Strict protocols will be in effect, everything from temperature taking of children at arrival to mask wearing by kids and adults.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Shirley Ritter, director of the city\u2019s Kids First program, said Wednesday it will be challenging to operate under COVID-19 conditions but she\u2019s confident that teachers will follow the guidance.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWith social distancing with kids, it\u2019s do the best you can,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it will take a lot of practice on all of our parts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">At the Yellow Brick schoolhouse, where the Early Learning Center, Playgroup Aspen and Aspen Mountain Tots are located, each of the classrooms will be accessed from the exterior of the school.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Prior to being let in, teachers will give a visual inspection of the child looking for any signs of illness, and parents will be asked if their child has shown any signs of illness or has been exposed to those who have been sick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis is on the parents to make sure their kids are healthy,\u201d Ritter said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Other day care facilities, such as the Wildwood and the Little Red School House, also will open next week, as will about a dozen others throughout the county.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Ritter said the Yellow Brick will open with about 100 kids. The facility has a capacity of 150 children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">She added that parents who have been at home with their kids trying to work has been challenging, and others are going back into their workplaces and need child care badly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI think that has been a stress,\u201d Ritter said. \u201cI feel like (opening) is the light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The state this week also gave guidance to summer camps, which City Manager Sara Ott told Aspen City Council on Tuesday that many in the area are preparing for a mid-June opening, including the city\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">As part of its <a id=\"N0x29dcdb0N0x2ae3150:N0x29dcdb0N0x2bb2960\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-electeds-make-historic-vote-for-5m-covid-19-emergency-relief-stimulus-package\/\">$6 million COVID-19 relief and recovery fund<\/a>, council in April approved up to $1 million for child care efforts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The money is coming out of the Kids First fund, which is backed by dedicated sales tax revenue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The bulk of that money will be for child care financial aid for families in need, and retaining qualified providers and staff in the community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Ritter said about $21,000 has been put toward rent relief for providers who were forced to close due to public health orders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Roughly $250,000 is set aside for emergency financial aid for parents who are economically affected by COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cMost of this will come down in June,\u201d Ritter said, \u201cand we have to support those families.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment for area providers has totaled $7,300 so far, and interior upgrades like new carpet in the Yellow Brick have amounted to $40,000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Another $75,000 subsidy is going to preschools to keep room sizes small, Ritter said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">While the city\u2019s child care relief efforts are limited to Pitkin County, it has left other providers left out in the cold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That\u2019s the case for Kelly Beal and her business partners who bought <a id=\"N0x29dcdb0N0x2ae31b0:N0x29dcdb0N0x2bb2f00\" href=\"https:\/\/www.honeytree.love\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Honey Tree Child Care in El Jebel<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Honey Tree has been the only child care facility open in the Roaring Fork Valley throughout the pandemic to serve essential workers who are needed at their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Some of those parents are essential employees who work in Pitkin County but Honey Tree has been told it doesn\u2019t qualify for assistance because it is located in Eagle County.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI feel like we\u2019ve supported the community but we aren\u2019t getting any support,\u201d Beal said, adding that as a new business owner and being limited to 10 kids to a classroom, she\u2019s having a hard time paying the rent, her business loan and the teachers. \u201cWe aren\u2019t paying ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Beal said because she\u2019s only owned the business since the beginning of the month, she doesn\u2019t qualify for the federal government\u2019s Payroll Protection Program to cover teacher pay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Of Honey Tree\u2019s 14 teachers, seven are working right now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Beal sent a letter to the Eagle County commissioners asking them to advocate for child care providers so the state can increase the size of groups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cDay care wasn\u2019t thought of during these phases (of reopening),\u201d Beal said. \u201cWe need some leverage to get more capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Ritter said it\u2019s a tough situation for most child care providers who are in an <a id=\"N0x29dcdb0N0x2ae3210:N0x29dcdb0N0x2bb3410\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2020\/04\/27\/colorado-child-care-day-care-preschool-children-coronavirus-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">economically challenging industry<\/a> regardless of COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cEarly child care programs across the state are in a world of hurt. \u2026 These businesses didn\u2019t have cash flow to begin with,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a good scene right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:csackariason@aspentimes.com\">csackariason@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/child-care-facilities-in-aspen-to-open-next-week-challenges-ahead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After over two months on hiatus due to COVID-19, day care facilities in the Aspen area are set to open Monday, which will be a relief for hundreds of parents throughout Pitkin County. Facilities are limited to 10 children in a group and classrooms will be designed around 6-foot social distancing practices, according to state [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2458920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-17 06:15:27","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2458920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458920\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2458920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2458920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2458920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}