Parenting: What your child care should look like now
As Americans return to work this month, “the stifling atmosphere of ‘I don’t know’ hangs over day care,” said Pete Croatto in GoodHousekeeping .com. Many of us parents can’t return to our workplaces unless we send our children to day care, yet doing so feels like putting them at risk. But states are gradually letting day-care facilities reopen, several weeks after orders shuttered 6 in 10 nationwide, and there’s reason to put faith in the move, said ProPublica.org. First, children who become infected with the Covid-19 virus typically do not get as sick as adults do—and for children, death is extremely rare. And though further studies are “frustratingly” scarce, 2 in 3 indicate that children are less susceptible to contracting the virus. In New Jersey, more than 500 child-care centers remained open in April and May to serve children of essential workers, and none reported evidence of children passing the disease among themselves.
Day care will look different to returning customers, said Stephanie Ebbert in The Boston Globe. At Magical Beginnings in Middleton, Mass., drop-offs are now strictly one family at a time, with parents not stepping past the foyer. Families must submit a daily checklist affirming a lack of symptoms, but the kids’ temperatures are also checked before the parent departs. Once inside, the children wash their hands for the first of many times and are kept in separate groups that no longer mingle. The facility has a refrigeratorsize device that uses UV light and ozone to sanitize toys and nap mats. And though the children don’t wear masks, the caretakers do. After story time, the kids cheerfully sing one of two new songs about handwashing.
Health regulations will vary by state, said Katherine Courage in Vox.com. Though most take cues from the Centers for Disease Control, many of the CDC’s new Covid-19 guidelines “seem incongruous with young kids’ behavior, such as expecting 3-year-olds to keep masks on all day.” If you’re considering a return to day care, said Tara Santora in Fatherly.com, ask yours for specifics on masks, handwashing, cleanings, maximum group sizes, socialdistancing measures, and screenings for children and staff members. While it’s true that kids are relatively unlikely to become severely ill, they could still spread the disease, even before they’re symptomatic, to day-care staff, other children, and people at home. It’s a tough decision for sure. “Sending your child to day care is a risk for your family and for your community. But so is going to the grocery store and work. Depending on your situation, day care may be a risk you need to take.”