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A30 FEATURE
Monday 1 June 2020
Parents balance risks, needs as child care centers reopen

SEATTLE (AP) — It's the day sponsible with new proto-
care dilemma central to re- cols.
booting American life amid "I was just really holding on
the coronavirus pandemic. by fingertips and it felt --
With social distancing un- once you know there was
likely among babies and another option out there
toddlers, parents of young -- it didn't feel sustainable,"
children across the coun- Gee said.
try are debating the health On the first day, Gee's
and safety risks inherent daughter, Sloane, was
in child care centers, and one of the five kids who re-
weighing what few alterna- turned to Petit Scholars in
tives they have to balanc- D.C., a child care program
ing family and work. that normally cares for 100
"The virus is on my mind all children across three cam-
the time with my kids," said puses, according to owner
Demi Deshazior, a doctor's Lashada Ham-Campbell.
assistant at a clinic in Mi- With enrollment capac-
ami, who is agonizing over ity cut in half to minimize
whether it's safe to put her exposure, Ham-Campbell
newborn and 2-year-old said she's been on a mad
son in day care. "Maybe it hunt for plexiglass to help
will work out and the kids further divide her centers'
will be healthy and safe but spaces.
there is always that 'what "We are a mandated
if?" mask-wearing city, so ev-
Many states have issued erywhere you go, you're
new health and safety In this Thursday, May 28, 2020 photo, Kerwin Robinson looks on as his wife, Emma Robinson, lifts aware the virus is here,"
guidelines for licensed pro- their son Tristan, 2, while being photographed at their home in Shoreline, Wash. Ham-Campbell said.
viders meant to help mini- Associated Press Emily Oster, a Brown Uni-
mize infection risks. There versity economics professor
are precautions being family, such as underly- negligible. lems, it can cause more se- and parenting book au-
ordered or suggested for ing health conditions like "It's not without risks," Glassy vere illness, including pneu- thor, said each family's cal-
everything from nap time diabetes and exposure said of group child care. monia and death. The vast culus will be different but
(space kids further apart) to high-risk grandparents, "Nothing is except inside majority of people recover. that the first step to making
and meal times (no com- and their personal risk toler- your home, but the risk can Will Gee, 39, an attorney the decision on day care
munal food sharing), to ance. be very low if they're follow- in D.C. who is currently un- is to frame their specific
pick-up and drop-off (curb- For the latter, what's most ing these guidelines." employed, said he and his choices -- for example: to
side). Soft toys that can't important is for parents to For most people, the new wife decided to send their go back or lose their job,
be easily cleaned are out. be informed about how coronavirus causes mild or 3-year-old daughter back or to go back in two weeks
Plexiglass to partition play their day care will adapt to moderate symptoms, such to day care. The father was versus two months.
areas are in. new protocols, and to un- as fever and cough that struggling to care for her "A lot of people were stuck
The Centers for Disease derstand that the relative clear up in two to three and an older brother, and on 'Should I go back?' --
Control and Prevention is risk for children to become weeks. For some, especially he needed time to look for which is a question that
also urging child care pro- sick enough to require hos- older adults and people a new job and trusted their seems like a question of yes
viders to have caretak- pitalization or die are low to with existing health prob- child care center to be re- or no, but it was hard for
ers wear masks and other people to conceptualize
personal protective equip- because there's an infinite
ment, clean and sanitize number of things to think
all surfaces more vigilant- about," Oster said.
ly, and screen kids and And for some, it's not much
teachers with temperature of a choice, particularly
checks. among essential workers,
And though young children those who aren't able to
have largely been spared work from home and those
of the worst of COVID-19, a who can't afford to take
rare and serious inflamma- time off.
tory condition in children Emma Robinson, a phar-
that's linked to the coro- macist at a Seattle hospi-
navirus has reinforced the tal, figured her child care
anxiety many parents have center was no more risky
because so much is un- than her job as an essen-
certain about the virus. Dr. tial health care worker.
Danette Glassy, an Ameri- The 42-year-old and her
can Academy of Pediat- husband decided to keep
rics expert who has helped their 2-year-old son, Tristan,
set the national health and in day care.
safety standards for child "I think there's just also the
care and early educa- fatigue of trying to do ev-
tion programs, said par- In this Thursday, May 28, 2020, photo, Kerwin Robinson looks on as his wife, Emma Robinson, holds erything perfectly and wor-
ents must take stock of the their son Tristan, 2, while being photographed at their home in Shoreline, Wash. rying about everything,"
specific risk factors in their Associated Press Robinson said. q