More people are back at work, but left with little options for childcare, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Illinois daycare workers are still restricted, leaving some parents in a tough spot.
It's an unfamiliar scene on the playground at Cuddles N' Hugs Home Daycare in Quincy, as just three kids play on it.
"We went from having 17 kids on two different shifts, to having six," daycare owner Traci Kelly said.
She said due to the COVID-19 guidelines, she can only care for six children, who's parents are considered essential workers.
"It's just been crazy," Kelly said. "I have several parents that have called me and said can we come back yet? I'm like no, not yet."
Fortunately, as of June 1, the lifted guidelines allow Kelley to take in children of anyone that's back to work.
However, with numbers still restricted, she said it's not that easy.
"I have one mom that has two small children under the age of two and she can't find anybody that will take both of them," Kelly said.
It's a common issue that several parents are forced to face right now, no matter what job they have.
Katelyn Woodward is an essential worker, who's home daycare also had to make cuts.
"Luckily, she was able to keep us in a couple days a week, but she did what was fair and divided up the time between all essential families," Woodward said.
She said she fortunately, can depend on family to step in.
"If we didn't have my dad and have him able to do this, one of us would have to take an unpaid leave with our jobs," Woodward said.
Kelley said there is an end in sight. She said under the most recent lifted guidelines, you can send DCFS a form that shows you're following the rules, with a chance of adding a couple more kids.
"If you have extended care like I did have, you can have eight kids and the two extended kids, which would be school age," Kelly said. "So you can have 10, which still isn't anything compared to 17."
Kelley said her daycare is full right now. She said she's waiting to add more kids, as the Restore Illinois plan moves forward.
West Central Child Care Connections said they are helping families find daycare in the area. You can call them at 217-222-2550.
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June 05, 2020 at 10:13AM
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Need for child care continues amid COVID-19 pandemic - WGEM
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