VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Weeks after announcing several after-school programs would have to close down for staffing shortages, Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation announced they'd be able to keep the programs going.
On Wednesday, the Parks & Recreation Facebook page announced that the city had hired enough new applicants to staff the three before-school and 11 after-school programs that were on the chopping block.
The 19 programs that were combined with after-school care in other buildings will stay in those new locations for the time being. The city's goal is to eventually bring those programs back to their original locations when enough employees are sufficiently trained.
Part of the reason Virginia Beach had enough applicants is that the city increased its salary for these childcare jobs. The rate went from $9.50-$14.89 per hour up to $15-$18.50 per hour.
A spokesperson said the change netted hundreds of applicants.
"We are very grateful to City leadership for recognizing the urgency of this situation and approving the pay increase that ultimately allowed us to hire enough staff to save these critical programs,” wrote Michael Kirschman, director of Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation. “Providing this good news to the families who were impacted is the best holiday present we could have asked for, and we are thankful to the people who have applied and come on board to join the team.”
The city's Parks & Recreation division is still looking to hire lifeguards, athletics staff members, fitness instructors and landscapers, to name a few positions.
Interested applicants can find those job listings online.