GALVESTON — A piece of her fence is gone, she doesn’t have all her supplies and she never planted that vegetable garden she wanted to use as a teaching tool.
Still, Kelli Kennington, who had planned to open a vegetarian montessori school on the island sometime this year, feels obligated to open the school now to provide Galveston families a day care option since Hurricane Ike wiped out nearly every day care on the island, including the one at The University of Texas Medical Branch — the city’s largest employer.
Child care is essential for families to return to rebuild their lives, said Alicia Alaniz, of the YMCA of Greater Houston.
Before Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston Island, there were 50 day cares and montessori schools in Galveston, according to YMCA Greater Houston reports.
Since Ike only three private licensed child care facilities have been able to open on Galveston, according to Collaborative for Children, a nonprofit organization that advocates for child care in the Houston area.
Destroyed day cares
Bouldin’s Bundle of Bears, 1914 45th St., was forced to close down after 18 years of providing day care to Galveston teen mothers after it was flooded during the hurricane. The 2 feet of floodwater that inundated the child care center destroyed toys, puzzles, playground equipment, books and cribs.
Owner Fannie Bouldin doesn’t have flood insurance to cover the damages.
When she looks over the destruction, her eyes fill with tears. She doesn’t know how she can repair the damage and replace molded items, worth more than $75,000, without insurance. She tried to apply for a U.S. Small Business Administration loan, but was told she could not receive the payment for six weeks, she said.
Bouldin said she’s heartbroken and wonders what will happen to the 60 children she used to care for.
The tidal surge pushed by Hurricane Ike flooded more than 75 percent of the island — damaging not only the day cares, but rendering their equipment useless.
Before flooded child care providers can reopen, they must obtain permits from the city to turn on electricity and gas service and they must be inspected by the health department.
Bouldin said it will take a least a month, provided they get help, to clean and prepare the day care to accept children once again.
Few options
The three private child care centers that are open — Magical Journey Montessori School, 1527 21st St., Kiddie Kampus Day School and Child Care, 4627 Avenue Q1/2 and Nolan’s Child Care Center, 902 32nd St. — have only enough capacity to house 130 children, according to the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services.
That’s 20 students less than The University of Texas Medical Branch day care had the capacity to care for.
It’s not clear when the medical branch day care, which was inundated with floodwater, will reopen.
Spokeswoman Marsha Canright predicts, at the earliest, the day care might be able to reopen by the beginning of 2009.
In the meantime, children who attend Galveston public school district can attend afterschool day care at the district’s five open elementary and middle schools. Cost is contingent on family income.
