Most parents still do not want to send their children back to day care, preschools, and child-care facilities, according to a survey.
According to a recent survey fielded by Care.com in May of over 2,000 US parents, nearly two-thirds of parents who use child care say they are worried about sending their children back to day cares, preschools, and child-care facilities.
As states reopen, findings show that only about 7% of parents believe it is safe to return to their normal, pre-pandemic activities.
The survey, which focused on parents with children under the age of 16 and who pay for child car, revealed that just over half of parents do not believe that normalcy will take place until at least next year or until a vaccine is released.
It’s a concern that Bay Area-based parent Robin Nelson, 40, knows all too well. , Nelson has been juggling teaching, researching and homeschooling her two children for nearly four months.
“We are seriously concerned about sending them, even though I trust the school to do everything they can do,” Robin Nelson, a parent and a professor of anthropology, says. She has been researching, teaching, and homeschooling her children for almost four months now.
“My son’s going to have to wear masks all day,” Nelson says of the new rules for her 8-year-old. She noted that her almost 3-year-old daughter will be spared for now.
“I know that they’re doing everything they can do, but we wanted to wait a few weeks to let them get the kinks out of their system as they get started,” Nelson states.
“We’re in the Bay Area — this has been kind of a mini epicenter of the crisis, so we had real reservations about sending our son and our daughter back," she added.
However, Nelson is concerned about continuing to have her children at home. “I am getting more concerned about our children’s mental health,” Nelson says, explaining that the pandemic has been an “incredibly isolating” time for her children.
“They kind of have each other,” she says.
For now, Nelson’s plan is to send the children to school and camp in July. “We’re monitoring outbreaks in the area,” Nelson says. “I think we have to pay really close attention. And if it gets bad, we’re going to have to go back on the plan to send them.”
Child-care routine
Sally Goza, a Georgia-based pediatrician and current president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that if a parent is in an area with a low rate of coronavirus cases, then it is "probably much safer" to return to a more normal child-care routine.
“Families are trying to figure out how to keep their bubble as small as possible and try to minimize their exposure as much as possible in order to protect their child,” says Nathaniel Beers, president and CEO of the Washington D.C.-based HSC Health Care System.
CDC recommendations
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a number of recommendations for day cares, preschools and child-care facilities. The guidelines aim to ensure the safety of children, teachers, and employees as programs reopen.
Some of the major recommendations are:
- "Promote healthy hygiene practices, including regular handwashing for children and staff
- Step up cleaning and disinfecting procedures, particularly of frequently-touched surfaces
- Implement social distancing strategies such as spacing out seating and nap areas
- Restrict classroom sizes and limit the mixing and interaction of children
- Conducting routine health screenings, including checking temperatures of children upon arrival
- Limit as much as possible the use of shared toys, supplies and learning aids
- Create plans and procedures for if a child or teacher becomes sick
- Implement flexible sick leave for staff and train additional employees if feasible."
