As Birofka lifts River to let him fill the bird feeder outside their dining room window, she explains the name behind the child care business she is opening in her home. “Backyard Birds” was inspired by this birdfeeder and her child care philosophy that prioritizes outdoor exploration and learning in a comfortable home setting.

This past Thursday, Birofka received her registration from the state after a year-long application process, renovating her family’s home and building a fence around their property. Now, she can do her small part in alleviating the child care shortage in her community.

“I’m hoping it helps people out,” Birofka said. “I never realized how important and safe and connected it feels for people to be like, ‘Okay, that’s what I’m looking for — the home experience for my child.'”

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Laura Birofka and her son River inspect some moss on a log in the woods outside their home on Monday, Nov. 25. The large, recently-fenced property will be a central part of her child care model, when the weather is warm enough. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

The child care dilemma

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Since 2019 and through the coronavirus pandemic, the North Country, like most of the U.S., lost precious childcare spots. Jamie Basiliere, executive director of the Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country, said the decline was because of a perfect storm of economic hardship and an aging workforce. During the pandemic, enrollment plummeted as parents started working from home, and when they eventually returned back to work, they struggled to find child care openings for their children.

Across the three counties that the CCCCNC serves, all of them saw decreases in child care capacity since 2019. Clinton County lost 27%, and Franklin County lost 41%. However, Essex County fared remarkably well, only losing 4%. Essex County also did better in the rebuilding that happened after the pandemic, according to Basiliere, as four new child care centers have become licensed since 2022.

Basiliere added that since 2022, more than 200 new child care spots opened up in Essex County. In that same time, Clinton County lost 136 slots and while Franklin County also lost spots since 2022, they have gained 40 back in 2024.

That isn’t to say child care isn’t a very present issue in Essex County; parents, child care providers and local officials are all looking for solutions. When Little Peaks Preschool and Early Childhood Center in Keene reopened as a renovated, full-time child care center, it was the only center in the town. Birofka, who served for almost a year in 2023 as the center’s executive director, said they had families coming from as far away as Lake Placid and Moriah.

Child care has been a priority in the Tri-Lake region, with the town of North Elba Community Development Commission creating a child care committee to discuss possible solutions. The committee surveyed the community in March about child care needs. In this survey, the most common type of child care used for kids 5 and under were home-based providers, with 28% of the 205 respondents reporting using this type of child care.

Basiliere and Birofka agreed that home care providers are an important part of the solution, but opening a small day care center in your own home comes with its own challenges.

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‘Many false starts’

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There are two types of home-based care providers who can be certified by the state. A sole proprietor can open a “family day care home” to care for up to eight kids, two of which must be school-aged. A “group family day care home,” which is differentiated by having an additional assistant, can have up to 16 kids.

In New York state, the child care industry is heavily regulated, Basiliere said. A lot of people — mainly women — have reached out to her, exploring the idea of opening a child care business in their home. The vast majority bail out.

Birofka is the only new family care center that was registered in Essex County this year, according to state registration records. In 2023, two family care centers were registered in the county, out of 11 total.

Basiliere said plenty of these providers are parents who couldn’t find the child care they needed and decide to do it themselves.

“There are some people who do that, and they love it so much that their kids grow up and they keep doing child care,” Basiliere said. “Then there’s another subset that as soon as their own children go to school, they close their family childcare business to pursue something else.”

One key resource available to both families searching for child care and providers are the child care resource and referral agencies in each county. CCCCNC is that organization for Franklin and Clinton counties. For Essex County, its Adirondack Community Action Programs. ACAP is a 501 (c)(3) that was established in 1965. It’s a part of a network of community action programs nationwide that serve low income families and individuals.

Erykah Davis is the child care department manager of ACAP, where she heads a small team that helps connect parents and child care providers with available resources. As a part of this work, Davis acts as a liaison for providers who are in the process of applying for a license with the state Office of Children and Family Services. She affirms that the process is lengthy, but says that’s necessary.

“Quality childcare comes out of these processes,” Davis said. “The regulations are there for a reason.”

The rigorous license process includes a series of background checks for the provider and every member of the household over the age of 18. There are required health and safety and CPR trainings, which can be expensive. There’s a required water test and the home must pass certain safety criteria, like covering low windows with shatterproof film and having a proper railing for any stairs on the property.

“People feel as though their home is being scrutinized, and so they bail,” Basiliere said. “And this is very common.”

Birofka was prepared for all of this. She started working in child care because she was having a hard time finding and affording child care herself. She first earned her teaching certificate as a single mother living and working in Southern California, so she could make a living and have her younger son attend day care. She moved to Keene Valley seven years ago and ended up working for Little Peaks. She initially helped the center get licensed, so she was familiar with the process.

With her experiences, she has more knowledge and resources than the average parent looking for care, and wants to help people who don’t have this expertise.

“Up here, you’re on your own if you don’t have family, so you’re relying on your child care to meet that need,” Birofka said. “What I’m trying to do here is make sure people know that we’re all in these small communities for a reason — to help each other out.”

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Filling the holes

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Birofka dreamed of working at Little Peaks until retirement, but eventually she felt she had to leave. The work felt unsustainable for her family and her vision no longer aligned with theirs. Now, she is looking to provde an opportunity for parents in her community who might not be able to afford other options, or people who don’t qualify for aid because of factors like work schedules or employment.

Another important piece of the child care puzzle is universal Pre-K. This is an important resource, Basiliere said, but even this cuts both ways. Schools can’t fill all of the needs that families have, especially since they can only take care of kids until mid-afternoon. And schools don’t provide for children under the age of 2.

Across the region, the infant to 3-year-old age group is most difficult to find care for. State regulations limit the number of infants that home providers can take. For day care centers, the staff ratio required for infants is higher, meaning it costs more to provide care for this age group. And when older kids are siphoned off into universal pre-K, many providers have vacancies for older kids, but not for infants.

Birofka hears from parents all the time who are looking for another child care option. Some need infant care because all the spots are filled somewhere else and others are just begging for just a few hours of after-school care. She finally has an answer. Her small operation can only take eight kids, but its a start. On Friday, she already had two children enrolled and some prospective families for the new year.

Dan Mayberry, superintendent of Keene Central School, said the community is in need of more child care options. Some find current options unaffordable, or simply lacking capacity. Others have a hard time finding options that will accommodate their schedule or provide part-time care. It’s a complicated issue, Mayberry said, and it’s also key to retaining residents and attracting people to the area.

“Right after housing, childcare is the next question that people usually ask or talk about when they either want to move here or they apply for a job here,” Mayberry said.

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Preparing for a full house

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Birofka hopes her home will be a place for other children to grow and thrive, and she hopes her flexibility will give parents options. The family lives right next to Keene Central School, which means parents can drop kids off along with their school-aged siblings. She’s also willing to take half-day students, and can accommodate infants over 6 weeks or older kids up to age 12.

Birofka is terrified by “cookie-cutter” schools with fluorescent lighting and everything made of plastic. Her philosophy with kids is to learn by spending time outdoors, focusing on social skills and learning through play and exploration.

“We live in a space that has the most amazing place to explore outside,” Birofka said. “And they can learn from counting rocks. They can learn from counting flowers and walking through the woods and learning to be patient.”

River is already learning these things, even when the cold keeps them mostly indoors. There’s a sun-catcher in the bathroom window that throws tiny rainbows onto the floor. River exclaims excitedly when he finds a rainbow in a new spot, crouching low at the top of the steps to identify his favorite colors. The home is ready for new friends for River, equipped with plenty of puzzles, a mini wooden jungle gym to climb on and a small table where kids can practice serving each other snacks.

And of course, there’s the bird feeder. As they sit at the table, Birofka and River pause to look out just as a chickadee drops by for a visit.