After nearly 20 years in the industry, Lopez's business is in dire straits, perpetually teetering on the brink of collapse. COVID fears combined with layoffs and rising prices have led to dwindling enrollment.
Diminishing attendance and rising costs, from labor to school supplies, have evaporated her operating margins. Lopez isn't alone in her experience among childcare business owners.
It's a broken market, said Nina Perez, the Florida director of Moms Rising. Parents struggle to pay for childcare. Businesses struggle to stay afloat.
I don't even pay myself anymore, said Lopez, who is operating at a loss in order to keep her three teachers paid.
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