When should parents sign up for child care amid staffing shortages? Right away.

Shannon Veltre knew something had to change as she watched the staff members at her early learning center scurry around the facility over the past few years, anxious to ensure that each child was cared for. 

Staffing shortages caused timecards at the Forest Hills facility to reflect hours of overtime, hinting at the burnout staff were facing. New families hoping to grab a spot in the program were turned away because of a lack of workers while children already enrolled were shuffled around the facility to guarantee they received necessary services and attention.