Daycares in the Pittsburgh area struggle as insurance companies drop coverage

Photo above by Alexis Wary/PublicSource shows Rose Marie Smith, the longtime director of Mt. Washington Children’s Center, reading to kids before breakfast.

Local childcare centers already struggling with a shortage of employees are now facing a new challenge: Some insurance companies are dropping coverage for independently-owned daycares or changing the liability insurance policies they offer.

Today, PublicSource published a story about how this is affecting Pittsburgh-area daycare centers and the families they serve.

“Rose Marie Smith, the longtime director of Mt. Washington Children’s Center, thought she was alone when she received a letter informing her that her insurance was dropping her in late July. The center, in operation since 1972, had never run into an insurance issue before,” writes Public Source reporter Rebecca Spiess.

Smith’s insurance provider said they were no longer covering independent daycare facilities, instead opting only for national chains.

“It was a big surprise,” Smith told Public Source. “I called our broker this morning, and she hadn’t heard this information either.”