Childcare a growing concern as economy reopens
NEW YORK - With New York beginning to reopen and parents heading back to work, the need for childcare is becoming a larger topic of conversation. But with the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, for many parents, their children’s safety is still of utmost concern.
So what will the new reality look like for parents concerned about bringing a nanny into their home, or even sending their children to daycare?
“They may have to make classrooms feasible so that there’s more distancing between students, they might have to change the nature of certain activities,” said Dr. Purvi Parikh, a pediatric immunologist with NYU Langone.
Daycare centers across the nation are facing similar questions as states reopen their economies.
“We are scared for us, we’re scared for the kids, if we really do think about it, it’s going to be hard to have social distancing for the kids,” said Sofy Cabrera of Drops of Joy Daycare in Glendale, Queens.
Drops of Joy has been closed for nearly three months, but have been told that they can reopen to care for the children of frontline workers. But workers at the daycare center say they’re afraid they might get sick, or worse, transmit coronavirus to a child, who could bring it home.
As for reopening, the center would need to cut its class size and hire more teachers to keep children apart.
Ultimately, experts say the situation boils down to a parent’s comfort level.