PITTSFIELD – Lack of affordable, available day care is a serious problem in Pittsfield, a community of 4,500 served by nine licensed facilities capable of caring for fewer than 70 children.

“I turn people away every week,” said Shela Hendricks, who has operated a licensed day care for 14 years. “They are panicky when I tell them I have no room and I don’t accept babies.”

A survey of most of Pittsfield’s licensed day care homes revealed the same answer: They are all full, and only one accepts infants.

A rule change by the state of Maine in 1998 that decreased the number of infants that could be cared for by a day care operator is being blamed. To accept infants, Pamela Lawler said she would have to cut back on two to four of her preschool-age clients. Each infant is counted as two children by the state.

“That’s a major bite in your income,” she said this week.

This situation has prompted Tammy Rolfe to begin investigating establishing a large-scale day care center in Pittsfield. She is an eight-year veteran day care provider.

Rolfe originally opened her day care so that she could stay home with her own children. Eight years later, she is working with the state to purchase a three-bedroom home that could be renovated into a full-time day care facility. “I would be able to serve between 36 and 48 kids,” said Rolfe. “And I know that I’ll be full the day I open.”

Rolfe said that she is not aware of any Pittsfield employer who provides day care options or subsidies for employees. “They would reap the benefits if they did,” said Rolfe. Employers in the central Maine area have said the number one cause of employee absenteeism is child care issues.

With every day care contacted indicating it was full with a waiting list, home care providers can afford to be picky. “You avoid the little ones because they cut into your income, and they are so much more work,” said Carolyn Howes, a provider for 20 years.

All of the providers talked about the difficulty of meeting state requirements and having to lose income while taking mandatory training courses.

“The way it is going, I believe it is the state’s intent that eventually there will be no day care homes, only centers,” said Hendricks.

Jan Frost has been caring for Pittsfield children in her home for 25 years.

“I have turned away many people, but the real need in this community is [day care] for babies. Moms are looking for day care now even before they are pregnant.”