The Hill
Child care remains a central obstacle to reopening the economy as the school year ends and camps and summer programs remain on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Without child care, there’s no recovery,” said Lynette Fraga, executive director of non-profit Child Care Aware of America.
“As states are starting to reopen and parents are heading back to work, the children are in need of care,” Fraga said.
Adding significantly to the problem is the major hit child care businesses have taken during the pandemic.
“I think one major piece that is so critical to focus on is that when demand increases, there are going to be fewer child care slots available and working parents are going to have a really tough time accessing affordable child care.”
In order to stave off further coronavirus outbreaks, child care centers will be forced to accommodate smaller numbers of children in the same space, regularly take children’s temperatures, implement social distancing, and institute a bevy of new sanitization instructions.
“That turns upside down the business model for the child care providers,” said Fraga.
“What’s really needed is support ensuring that when PPE is needed, providers have it, when sanitizing equipment and supplies are needed, they have it,” she added, referring to personal protective equipment.
