What Parents Should Know About Coronavirus as Kids Return to Babysitters, Day Cares and Camps
Reopening states after the COVID-19 lockdown raises unnerving questions for working parents who depend on some form of child care, from nannies to day camp. Instead of coming home with a snotty nose, is your child going to bring back the coronavirus?
As states are beginning to re-open, the topic of whether or not to send your child to day-care or camps has started to weigh on parents. According to research from ProPublica, with the proper precautions and monitoring in place, many public health experts seem to think that parents can safely rely on caregivers and day care centers. Because Covid-19 is so new, there is a lack of definitive research on this topic. That being said, there is some good news from New Jersey’s child care centers who opened on April 1 to service the children of essential workers. According to an official from the state’s Department of Health, there have been no reported outbreaks of two or more cases, which is undoubtedly good news. Because economic realities will force many families to make this decision before there are increased testing capabilities, here are some questions to consider. Parents should assess their risk on a number of levels including community, household, and the emotional well-being of their families. Overall, many experts say that it is most important for parents to be confident in the safety precautions of the provider they choose, regardless of what type of care that ends up being.
