Working parents say it’s hard to find child care for school-age children during the pandemic

NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — As more cities in the state start to re-open many parents are wondering where their children will go while they are at work.

That’s because many camps and summer programs are canceled because the pandemic.

Chelsey Bunch- Corley works in the optometry field and her husband is a truck driver; she said COVID-19 has definitely affected her family who is used to being on an every day schedule.

The Corley's have three and Chelsey says she’s ready to get back to work.

“My coworkers are like family but I don’t think they would want me bringing my three children into work,” said Bunch-Corley.

Bunch-Corley says since the pandemic, she and the kids are home. But now her job needs her back; and with summer camps and summer activities closed because of COVD-19 she doesn’t have many options for her 5 and 7-year-old twins.

"It’s affected the way we work, it’s affected our social life, we have really big families so social distancing has been very challenging," she said.

Bunch-Corley says she appreciates the state expanding child care resources which she says will help for her 5-year-old. Now she’s asking the city and state to consider care for her school-age children so she can get back to work.

Corley says she’s been searching for in-person child care but has found nothing.

"With the closing of extracurricular activities for my children, it’s definitely impacted us," she said, "‘It has been a fail, I have not had any luck. I found one childcare place for my 5-year old, but my school age kids I’m not having any luck at all.”

She says she appreciates the state expanding child care resources to help small children now she’s asking for help for the older ones.

“I’m definitely hoping to see childcare and summer camps hopefully open soon, of course with the proper guidelines and proper instructions in place.”

In the meantime, Bunch-Corley is on unemployment, she filed when she took off work to care for her kids.

She says it’s helping but the family needs a more steady income