Greater Burlington YMCA Is Closing Its St. Albans Child Care Facility, Leaving Families Scrambling

At the end of this month, the Greater Burlington YMCA will be closing its child care facility in St. Albans. The child care program had been operating out of a temporary location since its regular location was damaged by a burst pipe.

But that regular location was in the building leased by the federal government as the service center for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The government picked up the rental tab for the child care center as well. And when the federal government announced it wasn't going to renew the lease, the child care center was unable to find a location where it could afford to operate.

Thirty-eight children and their families are now left with three weeks to find affordable child care, which many parents are finding near impossible. Catherine Marrin is one of those parents. She's a licensed social worker in St. Albans and, in addition to working to figure out a plan for her family, she is also leaning on Vermont policymakers to do more to support universal child care in Vermont. She joined Vermont Edition to talk about her efforts.

Broadcast live on Monday, March 15, 2021 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Click here to listen to the recording of this story on VPR's website.