My daughter’s last day at day care was in mid-March, and we left with all of her belongings stuffed into her backpack, and a palpable sense of unease about when she would come back. Two months later, she is enrolled in a distance learning program that will last at least through the summer. Meanwhile, her childcare center — and many others — are making plans to reopen. But how do parents and providers know when it’s safe to return to day care?
CDC guidance on reopening
Some day care facilities have continued to operate quietly through the pandemic. But for others who now are contemplating the decision to welcome students back, the CDC offers a childcare decision tool to help guide when — and how — to open doors again.
First, the agency recommends that childcare centers comply with state and local orders that limit the ability of people to congregate in large settings. For example, in my state, gatherings are restricted to groups of ten. That means a larger classroom would need to limit the amount of students and teachers meeting together at one time.
Next, the provider should have the ability to screen children and employees for symptoms each morning. At my daughter’s day care center, that will include daily temperature checks at an outdoor station, where parents and children will be required to answer health questions upon arrival.
The CDC also recommends that childcare centers have the ability to protect higher-risk children and adults.
Once that criteria has been met, providers are urged to put in place additional health and safety protocols, including hand washing, facial coverings for older kids and adults, social distancing, and limiting the sharing of toys and play equipment. At my daughter’s school, administrators will allot additional disinfecting time, an individual box of toys per child, and will restrict interaction between classrooms. When children are taken to the playground, it will be one class at a time, and equipment will be cleaned after each use.
Finally, according to CDC guidelines, day care providers should monitor absences, encourage children who are unwell to stay home, and have a plan in place in case anyone on the premises contracts COVID-19.
Social distancing and young children
While I have no doubt childcare operators are thinking seriously about how to safely reopen, I also wonder how realistic social distancing and facial coverings are for young children. Little kids need hugs; they need to feel safe and protected, and often, that involves very close contact. I also can’t imagine that my daughter’s classmates, all two and three year olds, will be able to wear masks all day. And while hand washing will be encouraged, what about that errant cough and sneeze? Yes, we can teach our children good habits, but toddlers and infants are capable of only so much. Veteran day care parents already know how quickly germs spread in group settings (read my survival tips); these measures should curtail each child’s exposure to illnesses, but to what degree?
Considerations to weigh
In the end, the decision to send our children back to day care or to school will involve an element of risk — one that could affect an entire household. After all, even if our children do not become seriously ill, other members of the family might be susceptible to more severe symptoms. Are there high-risk individuals or older adults living in your household? Those are concerns to weigh before your child resumes daily life in a group care setting.
Our personal circumstances certainly will guide our choices about whether we feel it’s safe to return our children to day care. And for some families with no other childcare options, day care might be the only solution. But as we soberly consider the future, we should do our homework to the best of our ability. Examine the coronavirus stats in your region; are the numbers of positive cases trending downward for a period of 14 days or longer? Talk to your day care operators about whether they are following the CDC guidance, and get specifics about how they plan to put those recommendations into action.
And listen to your intuition. We tend to have fewer regrets about our decisions when our hearts and minds are aligned. It may not be scientific, but in a situation that involves a leap of faith, I think it’s worth something.
Is the COVID-19 pandemic causing your child anxiety? Read more about how to recognize the signs.