Parents are notably concerned about whether their kids will be safe in daycare during the pandemic. During the lockdown, this wasn’t a concern since parents were stuck at home with their kids. The US Chamber of Commerce has even offered guidelines to help business owners reopen after the lockdowns. This reopening strategy means that parents now have to consider a place for their younger kids while they work. In the times of COVID-19, this consideration has a bit more weight. Is a daycare center a good choice for a responsible parent, knowing that the pandemic isn’t resolved as yet?
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Consider The Factors
Most parents wouldn’t feel comfortable letting their kids go out to daycare during these uncertain times. Child centers may have their own protocols to help deal with controlling the spread of the illness. Children, in particular, tend to pick up viruses much easier than adults. Kids tend to play with everything they can get their hands on. Since the virus can remain on surfaces for an extended period, this could lead to infection. If you’re worried about the child-care centers in your area, you should speak with the people who run them to get a feel for if they’re following protocol. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued guidelines regarding how these child-care centers should work to minimize the risk to the children.
Health Checks and Screening?
A daycare during this uncertain time will need to change its approach to health checks and screenings. When you visit almost any retail store these days, they check your temperature upon entry. The same should happen at the daycare. However, checking the temperatures of incoming kids may not be enough. If a child wakes up feeling sick, their parent needs to pay attention since they may carry the virus. Symptoms of fever, even a mild one, should be regarded carefully before deciding to send your child to school.
Visitor Checks
Some daycares offer speech therapies, while others have experts coming in to work with the children. In such a case, it’s the daycare center’s responsibility to ensure that the visitors are adequately vetted for infection before coming into the facility. If mothers are allowed to breastfeed their babies, the area they’re in should be well-ventilated and isolated from the rest of the facility to keep both baby and mother safe. The staff should bring the child to their mother and return them to the class when necessary.
Other Considerations
Staff will be among the most likely to be affected in these scenarios. The daycare should have a mandate for staff to wear personal protective equipment. This precaution isn’t just to protect the team, but the kids as well. There’s no single answer for whether daycares are safe during the pandemic. The needs of each family differ, and what might work for you might not work for others. Even senior daycare centers have to deal with much of the same issues. The pandemic is an uncertain time for everyone.
