March 22, 2026 by Theo Wells-Spackman
For Jessie Cerretani, a 20-year child care veteran at just 37, hiring trained help has gotten more difficult in recent years.
“It’s hard to find people who are qualified and educated in the right ways,” she said in an interview.
Cerretani is an administrator and educator at Here Wee Grow, a child care agency in Manchester. Lately, when the program has posted open positions, they receive “maybe one” appropriately qualified applicant, Cerretani said.
“I feel like I put most of my life into my work,” she said. “I love what I do.” But Cerretani said she notices some staff pass through her industry without the same commitment.