Pinellas County Schools offers staff child care as part of strategic plan

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Pinellas County Schools has launched a new child care program for employees this school year.

It’s available for all full-time employees and is part of the district’s strategic plan to attract and retain top faculty and staff.

Caren Green is a child development associate, and teaches a class of one-year olds. The babies in her class have parents with something in common.

“This is not a typical daycare, this is for Pinellas county school employees,” Green said.

Pinellas County Schools started the child care program for 1-, 2-, and 3-year olds. It currently serves about 80 families and like any Pinellas County classroom, everyone is focused on the curriculum, even the one-year olds.

“We have been working on where they’re at developmentally, and getting to know them, and kind of just really nurturing them and learning what they would like to do in the environment,” said Green.

While Green teaches the one-year olds, her daughter Reese is across the hall in the 2-year old class.

“Her teacher welcomed her with open arms and she immediately took to her. They bonded very well. I can already tell she’s learning a lot in the classroom with the curriculum they have been providing. She is coming home and telling me letter sounds, and what she’s doing during the day, and she’s very happy every time I go see her. It’s been going very well,” she said.

This job is also going very well for Green. She is also pursuing her degree in early childhood education, which the district helps her pay for as an employee benefit, and Reese’s child care is greatly reduced from what it would cost at another daycare.

“We did our market research and we are able to offer it at a discounted rate compared to a lot of the community providers that families would otherwise be going to,” said Jessica Wagner, the program coordinator.

Wagner says school district employees only pay between $75 and $135 per week for child care here, depending on their child’s age. They’re currently licensed for 87 children right now, and she says the district is already looking into expanding.

“The response is overwhelming.  We have a waitlist of children waiting to get in, even for next year. We have a waitlist of kids for next year for the one year old program,” said Wagner.

At the end of the day, Caren and Reese are  both getting a head start on their futures with Pinellas County Schools. 

The district is seeking suggestions from the community to rename the child care facility in Pinellas Park. 

They’re accepting names through Sept. 30.