Employment at child care centers across the United States has been hit hard by the pandemic, and Peoria programs continue to struggle with low employment and long wait lists.
The AM/PM Before & After School Care program, a partnership between the city and Peoria Unified School District, provides elementary school-aged children with arts and crafts, group games, STEM projects, field trips during break camps and outdoor activities at more than 22 elementary schools.
In January 2020, the program employed 216 nonbenefit part-time staffers, but was decimated when the pandemic hit that March, losing its entire workforce as schools went virtual.
