Without question this pandemic has impacted the lives of every Coloradan and American, although the nature of that impact is very personal for each family. Families all have different needs and together as a community we must respond to that need. Here are some things to guide you in a very personal decision.

Job Loss. Nearly all of us know someone who has lost their job and income as a result of the current pandemic and all of America feels that pain. In the event of a job loss it may be necessary to withdraw your child from their current center simply because of your loss of income and in ability to pay, however, you may have other options:

  • Ask the center if they have any scholarships available or if they are willing to defer or reduce the tuition. When a child continues attendance they continue to learn and have socialization opportunities which many of us adults are currently craving;
  • Ask the center if they can provide you with resources so that you can continue a lesson plan at home;
  • Instead of automatically withdrawing a child as soon as you learn of your layoff, consider allowing the child to continue attending for one additional week, if financially able to do so. This will not only allow for the possibility that your work will resume and the child will have continuity of care, but allow you to work with the child’s teacher to transition to your at home care (this will be an adjustment time for parents too);
  • If you have already withdrawn your child, check with their former center or others in the area to see if either of the first two options above are available.

Tele-Work Parents. For parents that tele-work from home, either by choice or necessity, it may be difficult to balance the demands of the job as well as the demands of parenting. This may be particularly difficult for the parents of babies. Although many centers have closed, there remain several that remain open to fill the void. While many parents of school age children found tele-work relatively easy in the past, extended school closing have complicated their ability to do so. While friends and family may be willing to step in and help you should consider some of the available licensed childcare centers that are able to accommodate children in kindergarten and above.

Tele-Work Nursing Mothers. Teleworking for nursing mothers may be particularly problematic. Although all employers in the state are require to provide accommodations, what do you do when you are required to work from home? OVCA recognized this need last summer when we initiated our Working and Nursing program. Our facility has a segregated co-working space for parents and two private lactation rooms for mothers. Infants continue to be cared for in our nursery. We have now made the co-working space also available to parents of school age children up to age 7 where the children have their own separate supervised educational/play space.

Job-Site Working Parents. Some of the biggest decisions are being faced by parents that are still required (or allowed) to work at their regular job sites. You have a most difficult personal decision to make especially if you have school age children. Many may be considering using paid vacation time to stay home with a child “until this blows over” or depending upon friends or family for daily care. In making your decision you should consider the relatively low risk to children in a structed childcare facility as well as the educational and social impact on the child. Other considerations include your ability to control the access to the homes of family and friends as well as sanitation. State licensed childcare centers must comply with strict security and access rules which are heighted during this pandemic. In addition, licensed facilities comply with state mandated routine disinfecting requirements throughout each day.

None of us know how long the current situation will last or if it will get worse before it gets better. As a provider we are very familiar with the situation affecting parents and we jointly share with you the obligation to protect children. The state has asked providers to keep the doors open unless there is a specific health risk. Clearly, we and other providers will be required to close if there is a confirmed case or cause for concern in accordance with state guidelines. However, until then we and other providers are continuing to provide a safe environment for children through the implementation of heightened sanitization and other policy changes. We will continue to meet all of our obligations and we will not abandon parents and children. We WILL all get through this together!!!