This AZfamily.com news story and video features Alama Cortes, Director at Faith Lutheran Preschool, sharing how hard it is to find help staffing the school. Watch and read here.

Alma Cortes is the Director at Faith Lutheran Preschool, but recently, she's back in the classroom. It's a role she hasn't taken on in years, but it's a necessity now because of staffing shortages at the school.

"We were up to 15 pre-pandemic...and currently we have eight," says Cortes. In a perfect world, Cortes says they would hire eight more people, but despite a pay bump and a $500 signing bonus, they can't get people in the door.

"We do find people that apply, we go through the process of interviewing and when it's time to start, something happens and they decide not to," said Cortes. 

The childcare industry is still missing 10% of its workforce, according to the Labor Department.

Olga Fernandez is one of the lucky ones and despite a hectic search, she was able to get her daughter into a daycare after families pulled out at the start of the pandemic. Unfortunately for some of her friends who had children a little later, they are stuck waiting.

"I've definitely talked to other people right now who don't have anywhere to go," says Fernandez.

Cortes says they have turned away about 15 families in the past two months because they don't have the staff to support new kids. However, turning away families is like turning away money. "It has hurt us financially," added Cortes.

Another ripple effect from the childcare shortages is the 1.6 million moms with children under the age of 17 who have not returned to the workforce. Federal agencies credit some of that to women not having anyone to watch their kids.