Keeping a Job and Childcare | Highlands Cashiers Child Development Center

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: 2021/12 – December

Last year, when the pandemic turned work and home life upside down, childcare bore the brunt of the upheaval, as centers throughout the country shut down.  

But despite the physical risk, the HCCDC, The Highlands Child Development Center (highlandscommunitychildcare.org) remained open to support the needs of the working families of the community – essential workers or families who are trying to work from home whose employers do not understand that working from home with a small child is often hard.  

Since its opening in 2005, the center is the only year-round, state-licensed, five day per week, ten hours per day childcare program in the Highlands Township, that accepts infants, and provides care for children 8 weeks to five years of age.  

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the situation of families had been described as “a global childcare crisis” created by a fundamental market failure.  

For too long, parents have had to struggle with the high cost of care while childcare providers have been incredibly undervalued and underpaid. It simply costs more to provide care than many families can afford. It is estimated that over 35 million children under five years old are sometimes left without adult supervision, a factor often linked to economic pressures on parents to work. 

“The role of HCCDC in allowing parents to provide for their families while their children are being cared for and nurtured is crucial to the prosperity of the community,” said Ann Flynn, HCCDC spokesperson, “These are the children whose parents staff the restaurants, grocery stores, and many other establishments and provide the service on which our community relies.” 

Paying for these programs is expensive and the center relies upon contributions from grants and individuals.  

As Cathy Manning of HCCDC elaborated, “With the country, and particularly childcare in the US, still being bogged down by Covid, there haven’t been any new programs initiated recently.    

This year we were fortunate to receive a grant from the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation to provide tuition money to parents who were struggling to be able to afford childcare during the pandemic.  HCCDC also received a significant increase in the support provided by Mountain Findings, also an indicator of the importance the community puts on making childcare, particularly infant childcare available to working parents.  We also wanted to show our leadership this year and the value we put on our teachers, so we increased wages across the board for our employees.”

HCCDC is asking for our help so that they can continue to provide the service on which the community depends, and which will allow the children to thrive.  A $50 gift will buy new books for the center’s library, and $100 provides a new tricycle for the playground. A new crib, bedding, and rocking chair can be added to the center with a gift of $1,000. Please visit highlandscommunitychildcare.org to contribute.