High turnover and staffing shortages have long been a scourge of early childhood education, but for many child care providers, the struggle has ratcheted up considerably during the pandemic.

That was true in the height of the outbreak last year, and it remains true now.

“We cannot find teachers,” says Aarie Wade, child development center director at Baxter Community Center in Grand Rapids, Mich. “It’s as simple as that.”

Wade’s program hasn’t returned to full capacity since March 2020, when she shut down for what would end up being a four-month closure. Ever since reopening last June, she has been trying to build back her staff. But no one is applying. And without teachers to fill the classrooms, Wade has not been able to bring on as many children as she is licensed to accommodate. She’s down about 18 child care slots.

The issue is not the virus anymore. It’s staffing.

Child care providers all over the country, regardless of their state or setting, are experiencing the strain of being understaffed. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a nonprofit that represents the full spectrum of early childhood educators, surveyed 7,500 providers from mid-June to early July and found that more than half of respondents are experiencing greater difficulties with recruiting and retaining staff now than before March 2020.

Among providers who work in center-based settings, the survey found 80 percent are currently experiencing a staffing shortage, which NAEYC defines as having at least one role open and unfilled for a month or longer.

The reality in many programs is much more dire. Wade, for example, employed about 15 teachers before the pandemic, and now she is hovering at nine. Three of those nine are recent hires, and two of them have no experience in early care and education settings.

Read the full article about child care staffing shortage by Emily Tate at EdSurge.