Childcare capacity expands since school is out and parents need to work

Love Church's Childcare Center and Auto Repair increase in productivity since Governor Holcomb's "Stay At Home" order went into effect Tuesday night.

A fort wayne church is expanding its services to help parents care for children.good evening, i'm brianna dahlquist.

Thank you for welcoming us into your home tonight ... chris has the night off.

As businesses close to comply with the governor's stay-at-home order ... love ministries is trying to help those on the front lines.

Fox 55's mallory beard tells us what changes the church is making.

The daycare center at love church typically holds 39 children a day.

But now as more businesses close due to the governor's stay at home order it's tripled its capacity.

Salvo//love church daycare director "when we heard that the schools were closed, we thought that a lot of the parents would need more child care as they go to work.

And so we wanted to increase our capacity for the daycare."

Love church ministries received approval from family social services to expand to 137 children to help fill a need in the community.

Wallace butts, sr.//love church pastor "when health care workers are inundated with patients and things of that nature, finding a child care becomes even more essential with students out of school and all of that."

Parents, especially those on the front lines, couldn't agree more.

Jennifer luyben//parent "i'm at work so i can't do things with them or my husband's at work so he can't do things with their little brains growing and thriving and with so many things closed right nowt's a good opportunity for them to get out of the house."

Since school is closed, daycare is the only option for some parents toni woods-williams//home care provider, parent "it's very important for them to be expanded because parents need to work to provide for their families because if they're not working then they're not bringing any money home...then the family suffers."

Using hand sanitizer and maintaining space around lunch tables are just two ways the staff are encouraging the kids safety.

But the daycare hasn't been the only building seeing an increase of people.

The auto repair shop, also an extension of the church, has seen a spike in numbers.

John lecorchick//love church auto technician "i see more people off work so i think they have more time to bring their cars in."

But more customers comes at a price.

Technicians and other essential workers are trying to keeps themselves protected too.

John lecorchick//love church auto technician "i empathize with them because i'm going through the same thing too, you racticing social distancing and the other precautions that were put in place just because i have a family to go home to as well."

In fort wayne, i'm mallory beard.

Fox 55 news