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Grandma’s Luv’n Care announces closure

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Grandma’s Luv’n Care is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization located in Batavia. The facility is a childcare and developmental center established in 2005 with the mission to help children grow physically, socially and emotionally in a loving environment. The daycare center currently employs 21 staff and provides care for 59 children.

Managing a not-for-profit daycare in today’s economy has become increasingly challenging. Minimum wages have risen each year for the last two years and further minimum wage increases are planned at the end of this year, and each year thereafter through at least 2020. Other operating costs have also risen with typical inflation. Appropriately, the childcare industry is also highly regulated and staffing ratios must be maintained in order to provide optimal care to the children.

The Board and management team of Grandma’s Luv’n Care have taken numerous steps over the past two years to manage the financial pressures of operating the daycare. However, when all factors are combined, the economics of keeping the center open are no longer viable. The Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to close the facility on Aug. 31st.

The Board highly values its staff and the children and families it has served for many years and felt it was imperative they provide adequate notice of the closure. As such, notification of the closure was provided this week to allow families time to seek care for their children and staff time to seek other employment.

Scott Chismar

I sincerely hope that the 21 people losing their jobs land on the feet.

I further hope that their future employers will not think that a slight increase in the minimum wage is a death sentence to a Company. A minimum wage should be just that - a minimum. And to see that the Board would gripe about such awful regulations as staffing ratios says a lot about Grandma's Luv'n Care.

So, if minimum wage did not go up and there were no regulations, all would be good here? Sounds like either poor management or a failed business model to me. I wish the 21 people well and am very confident that they will be able to find a new boss that does not think that minimum wages and no regulations are the secret to success.

Jul 28, 2018, 1:28am Permalink
Ron Koch

Scott, your comments are obviously from a POLITICAL point of view where there is no accountability of money. If they need more money they just raise the taxes.
The BUSINESS world doesn’t work that way. You need the money coming in from someplace to be able to pay your payroll and bills. If you don’t have the money you don’t pay the bills.
For an organization with 21 employees the minimum wage increase is a considerable expense.
Not to go on and on, but I just noticed last week that the Burger King in LeRoy now has 2 electronic devices to place your food order. Another example of the benefit on the minimum wage increases. I guess from Scott’s thinking that Burger King also has poor management with their accounting.

Jul 28, 2018, 10:21am Permalink

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