GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Greensboro daycare is closing because of struggles caused by coronavirus.
Stay and Play has helped children learn and grow, and has become part of their customers families.
Sarah Baker has been taking her two daughters to Stay and Play for years.
“Stay and play is family,” Baker said.
But at the end of the month that family will break up for good.
“With no help coming in and just a little of the payment protection it’s just not feasible to sustain this anymore,” said co-owner of Stay and Play Gina Barrow.
Owners Gina Barrow and Karen Root are closing the daycare because of the pandemic.
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They went from having 10 families a day to maybe one if they’re lucky.
“We are a drop in facility and we don’t know what kids will be here on a daily basis," Barrow said. "Maybe that was what swayed parents in saying I’d rather not."
They’ve lost thousands of dollars since March.
Property management couldn’t come to a compromise, so they’ll close on July 31.
“Some of the compromise involved a significant amount of money that we don’t have,” Root said. “The virus is still out there and numbers are increasing there’s no guarantee when folks will feel safe to come back.”
They said holding out until the start of school won’t make a difference.
“Since we aren’t a regular childcare facility we don’t have a guaranteed customer base that is going to say 'we are going to bring our kids a certain amount of time”, Root said. “We really don’t have enough money to try and stay open and see,”
Baker and her family are devastated.
“You don’t have to worry when you drop your kids off there,” Baker said. “Almost all the people who worked there were moms so you knew they were going to be a mom to your child. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Gina and Karen said this is their livelihood.
They don’t have a backup plan.
They said the only way they’ll be able to stay open is if they were to find an investor who could help supply funds until the pandemic ends.
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