While kids will be heading back to school in a month, many adults will also soon be heading back to work for the first time since the pandemic began. ​Because of that, child care facilities across our viewing area have been taking in extra requests for their programs.

However, if you've waited this long, you may be hard pressed to find available services near you. 

At Together We Grow in East Syracuse, staff say they have been getting about three to four inquiries a day for their services. Unfortunately, they are booked through the fall of 2022 and now have a waiting list.

Officials said the pandemic took a toll on a number of day care facilities and caused them to shut down. Now, many of the parents that relied on those services are calling around to find a new center.

"Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, several facilities had to close. They couldn't do it, they couldn't survive. So now all of these parents that have to go back to work, and back into the office, are looking for care. It's horrible for them, it's very difficult for them to find care," said Together We Grow Owner Karen Schemm.

Schemm said, while some facilities did survive, they may also be struggling to find staff to accommodate the numbers they did in the past.

​Schemm has owned the child care facility for 19 years which provides care for kids from six weeks to 12 years old. She said they've always been big on cleanliness and have been abiding by state and CDC guidelines very closely.

She recommended calling around and getting on wait lists, because with the pandemic continuing, things are constantly changing every day. She said they will do whatever they can to help parents in need. 

They are also directing parents to Child Care Solutions, which is a referral agency to help them find care.