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That’s the week between when school-based day care centers shut down and school starts. To make matters worse, many private day care providers also close for all or part of that week.
“It is just ridiculous,” said Amber Condon, a Cottage Grove mother of two. “I guess they don’t realize how difficult it is to find other day care for that week.”
The five-day hiatus is a long-standing Minnesota practice, but many parents have never found a good alternative and are forced to use vacation time to take care of their children.
“It’s like you take a vacation, but you don’t get a vacation,” said Jill Lamothe, an Apple Valley mother of three.
Lynn Deml, youth programs manager for South Washington County Schools, said most parents figure out other arrangements. They leave the kids with relative, find a private provider that’s open or stay home from work.
School officials said the gap week is essential. Teachers and workers need the time to prepare classrooms and school buildings for the arrival of students.
Still, many parents and day care experts are wondering why no large-scale alternatives are offered. Condon said she’s heard of churches in other states that organize fill-in child care to cover the weeklong gap.
“It’s a travesty,” said Kelley Hinz-Francis, a Minneapolis mother of four. “Parents are just stuck at the whims of bureaucracy.”
