These desperate parents slept on the sidewalk—just to snag coveted daycare spots
The line stretched around the block—and it wasn’t for the latest iPhone, a trendy new restaurant or a sold-out concert.
It was an ever-growing line of extremely devoted New York City parents, desperate to secure their children a slot in the early childhood program at the Greenpoint YMCA in Brooklyn, according to the New York Daily News.
“We have the trusty tent, we’ve got a lot of snacks and for later on a sleeping bag and a yoga mat,” Sara Lux Lee told CBS New York, sitting in the doorway of her tent as her toddler chowed down on a banana.
The parents showed up Thursday morning ready to stay on the sidewalk over night, all to make sure they would be near the front of the line when sign-ups for the daycare opened at 8 a.m. Friday morning. There were dozens in line, CBS New York estimates.
Some blew up air mattresses to rest on. Others pitched tents. But many brave parents simply hunkered down in folding chairs, armed with books and snacks to pass the hours.
Parents told CBS New York that it’s a small price to pay for a good daycare, especially since the Greenpoint YMCA is more affordable than others in the city. At about $1,100 a month, the program is half the cost of others, according to the Daily News.
Tents, blankets, lawn chairs and snacks. Not a line for the next iPhone. It's a line for daycare sign ups in Brooklyn! @CBSNewYork at 11 pic.twitter.com/elsHbqKv10
— Jessica Layton (@JLaytonTV) September 1, 2017
But it wasn’t just parents in line. One self-styled “manny,” Jonathan Flores, grabbed a valuable spot in line for his employers.
“I’m glad there are other people here, and hopefully we’ll get to move inside,” Flores told the Daily News.
“But I planned for the worst,” he said, holding an umbrella.
And the unusual line didn’t go unnoticed by locals—one of whom had a business idea.
The line for childcare sign ups (that start 8am tomorrow) makes me think there's something wrong w society.
— L.A. Marks (@LisaAnnMarkuson) August 31, 2017
& I should open a daycare. pic.twitter.com/zJJXVZjb4W
Before long, pizza boxes began piling up on the sidewalks, according to the Daily News, as hungry but determined parents settled in for a long night.
Late Thursday, some of the parents got a pleasant surprise. The daycare handed out tickets to some near the front, allowing them to go home, get some rest and come back in the morning without losing their place in line.
This story was originally published September 1, 2017 at 10:06 AM with the headline "These desperate parents slept on the sidewalk—just to snag coveted daycare spots."