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Kate Vriner and her daughters Rita, left, and Evelyn go through their homework after school. The Centerville family has balanced childcare and work during the pandemic. JIM NOELKER / STAFF
Photo credit: Jim Noelker
Photo credit: Jim Noelker
Before the pandemic, the girls were at Holy Angels School, then at home with their parents when everything closed in March 2020. Last year Evelyn went to Primrose Child Care Center and Rita to Centerville Schools.
“We were very lucky that no one in Evelyn’s class got COVID, so we never had to quarantine them or the family,” Vriner said.
But Centerville did not have full-time personal tuition.
“Finding care for your child one day a week can be a challenge,” said Vriner. “I was very fortunate that my mother was able to help one day a week.”
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That summer, a college student looked after the girls at Vriner’s house, but when school started Vriner transferred both girls to Incarnation School, where social distancing and masks are required.
“For us it was because Incarnation never closed in the last (school) year,” said Vriner. “Yes, there is a possibility that they will have to be quarantined at some point, but they are flexible for our work, but not that flexible.”
Roby and her husband Josh Stehr have a son, Austin Roby Stehr, 3, who is attending Mini University in Fairborn.
Roby works from home and Stehr attends a flight school in Texas. Roby relies on her parents, Wendell and Michelle Roby of Dayton to help.
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“There have been a lot of setbacks trying to be a working mom, be a business woman, and have a child at the same time during this pandemic,” said Roby, who co-founded Blaire’s Roadside with Blue Smoke.
They are now making pop-up restaurant locations because they are waiting for a smoker and parts for their food truck. In August Roby won the Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl” and was named Master of ‘Cue.
She said her son’s daycare was closed during the pandemic when she tried to start the food truck business and do government jobs at home.
She set up a daytime preschool for Austin, and when her parents got home from work, she went to their home and worked in their basement while they looked after Austin.
Then it was time to go home, put Austin in bed and continue working into the night.
“Tired is the only thing I know,” said Roby.
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Erica Blaire Roby won the Food Network’s BBQ BRAWL this year.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
In November she took Austin to Mini University and said the masking and security protocols there allowed her to stay largely open. But not always. A COVID case recently quarantined everyone for 14 days.
“It’s not just staying at home. It’s tested every time we get a school email saying there was a possible exposure. The whole family also needs to be tested, ”said Roby.
She said it sometimes feels impossible to handle everything, especially when her husband is out of state.
“But we’re moving on because we don’t have a choice,” said Roby.
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Check out all of our stories on the impact of childcare challenges on local families, children and businesses:
Childcare crisis: costs, labor shortage lead to “unsustainable situation”
Mothers wave, juggle to reconcile work and childcare in a pandemic
PHOTOS: Cute kids play and learn in childcare and at home
See more tomorrow at DaytonDailyNews.com
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