So, we thought we\u2019d prepare a guide to daycare during coronavirus. <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n![\"Child](\"https:\/\/blog.carelulu.com\/resources\/parents\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Child-Care-During-Coronavirus-COVID-19-The-Definitive-Guide-1024x536.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis guide includes tips on how to find child care during closures (no, not all daycares are closed!) Also, we\u2019ll provide answers to questions many parents are asking themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we go any further:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For parents who are essential workers and need to find care and can’t read the full post, click here to find emergency child care near you<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis guide is mostly designed for parents, but if you\u2019re a child\ncare business owner, preschool director or teacher, we also wrote a guide for\nyou. Read it here: Coronavirus In Daycare:\nWhat Should Child Care Providers Do?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nNow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a parent of an infant, toddler or preschooler, there\u2019s a lot on your mind right now. Maybe you\u2019re struggling to find child care while many facilities are closed because of coronavirus. Or, maybe you\u2019re wondering if it\u2019s safe to send your baby to daycare during COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the questions we\u2019ll answer in this post:<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n- How to find daycare during coronavirus closures?<\/a><\/li>
- Is it safe to take kids to daycare during the COVID-19 outbreak?<\/a><\/li>
- Should daycares and preschools close during coronavirus?<\/a><\/li>
- Do I still need to pay tuition if my daycare is closed because of coronavirus (or if I decide to keep my baby home)? <\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s dive right in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How can\nparents find daycare during coronavirus closures?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nIt may seem like all daycares and preschools and closed during the coronavirus crisis. There are more and more stories of parents struggling to find child care. Obviously, that\u2019s an issue for all working parents, including those who are now working from home, but especially for healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, are all daycares shutting down during coronavirus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No. It\u2019s true that many child care facilities are closing for safety reasons. Nevertheless, many remain open. At least for now! Some States are requiring child care facilities to close (like public schools), but most States are not, for now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many States are also approving child care facilities to remain open to serve essential personnel. Some daycares must serve essential workers exclusively, others should prioritize<\/em> essential workers but can still serve other families. The rules vary by State, so check with local authorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\nClick here to find emergency child care near you<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, how can parents find a daycare facility that’s open?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Consider a home daycare<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nSome child care centers<\/a> and large preschools<\/a> remain open, but most of the daycares that are open during coronavirus are home-based daycares (aka family child care programs). <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, that\u2019s because in-home daycares are licensed to care for\nfewer kids, so they meet the CDC recommendation for\nlimiting group sizes<\/a>. The initial CDC guidance was to cancel\nevents for groups of 250 or more, but as of 3\/16\/20, the CDC recommends limiting\ngroups to 10 people. Most family child care and preschool programs care for\nfewer than 10 children.<\/p>\n\n\n\nClick here to find a home daycare near you<\/strong><\/a>.
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Consider\npart-time daycare<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re a parent struggling to find care, another option you can consider is part-time daycare. Maybe you\u2019re working from home because of social distancing guidelines, so you don\u2019t need full-time care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you only need child care for 2-3 days per week, or maybe you need care every day but only for a few hours each day, then part-time care is for you. Many child care and preschool programs, both homes and centers, will offer part-time care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Click here to find a part-time daycare near you.<\/strong><\/a>
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Look into\ndrop-in daycare<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIf your long-term child care facility is closed due to coronavirus, or if you just had a baby and aren\u2019t ready for full-time infant care<\/a>, drop-in child care may be worth considering. Drop-in care comes in various shapes and sizes, from in-home daycares to large centers. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBut remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if it\u2019s \u201cdrop-in\u201d care, licensed child care facilities always need to maintain teacher-to-child ratios, so make sure to contact child care providers to see if they have an opening when you need it. Note: parents typically need to fill out all the usual paperwork required by licensing (including up-to-date immunization records, etc.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Click here to find a drop-in daycare near you.<\/strong><\/a>
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIs it\nsafe to take kids to daycare during coronavirus? Should I keep my baby home?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s a tough one. Ultimately, mom and dad, you\u2019re the only\nones who can make the decision. As a parent, the thing you care the most about\nis the safety and well-being of your little one. However, nobody can guarantee you\nthat your child will not get sick at daycare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the deal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even without the coronavirus outbreak, kids get sick at daycare all the time. They also get sick at home, or on the playground. <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\nChildren get exposed to germs everywhere and getting sick is just part of growing up! However, we also need to consider that now is not a normal time, and you need to do everything you can to make sure your baby doesn\u2019t get sick now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In general, kids in their first year of daycare are more likely\nto catch colds than those who stay at home. But studies show that the risk of\ninfection declines over time and after one year, a child enrolled in daycare is\nat no greater risk of illness than a child who stays at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, you can make sure your child care provider is doing what they need to in order to protect your baby. Here\u2019s a post we wrote a while ago regarding germs in daycare, and the questions to ask your child care provider<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, parents, the decision is yours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, your child is more likely to be exposed to germs in daycare. However, it doesn\u2019t mean that a daycare isn\u2019t safe for children right now. Child care providers can take a lot of measures to ensure that they offer a clean environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019d like to share tips with your daycare, send them this\nguide on <\/strong>what child care\nproviders should do during coronavirus<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\nAlso, there\u2019s some good news (kinda):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Children seem to be at a much lower risk than older adults. This virus is still new and there isn\u2019t enough research done to confirm this but so far, for the COVID-19 cases in China, there were no reported deaths in children under 10 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below is a chart of the death rate by age group.<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n![\"Coronavirus](\"https:\/\/blog.carelulu.com\/resources\/parents\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Death-Rate-By-Age-Group-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAmong children 10-19 years old, 0.2% of those diagnosed with\nCOVID-19 died from it. In contrast, 14.8% of those 80 years and older who were\ninfected by COVID-19 died as a result (based on information available to date\nfrom a recent study<\/a> from the\nChinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention).<\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if young children are at a lower risk, it doesn\u2019t mean that there\u2019s nothing to worry about! Children can spread the virus to their parents (you!), their grandparents and other kids in daycare. If your child care provider is older or your kids are in close contact with their grandparents (or anyone else), you need to be extra cautious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And in general, be kind and mindful. Your actions may impact other people, even if you and your close family are healthy. If you need to work and need to have your child in care, that\u2019s completely fine! But social distancing is important right now, here are some pointers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nShould\ndaycares and preschools close during coronavirus?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s no easy answer to this question either. Many child care businesses are trying to stay open to ensure that healthcare professionals can still go to work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If all child care facilities shut down, how\nwill doctors and nurses who have infants or toddlers go to work? And all the\npeople who work to ensure that we still have food in the supermarkets? So there\u2019s\ndefinitely a health and safety reason for daycares to remain open. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it\u2019s impossible to deny that there\u2019s a risk for both child care providers, as well as the children in care and their families. So, if they remain open, daycares and preschools should take additional safety precautions to ensure that everyone is safe during coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might be wondering:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are daycares required to shut down during coronavirus? <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\nWell in most cases, no, they\u2019re not. Each state is taking action, and the recommendations vary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In most cases, even if public schools are\nrequired to be closed, child care facilities can remain open. Since child care\nbusinesses are privately operated, most authorities aren\u2019t requiring daycares\nto close. At least for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For instance, in Illinois, Gov. Pritzker announced that all public and private schools will be closed from March 17 to March 30 to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but child care centers will remain open<\/a>. They will, however, have to follow strict health and safety requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIn California, similarly, schools are closed, but the California Child Care Licensing agency is letting daycares and preschools decide whether to remain open or to close<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan went a step\nfurther and actually enacted an emergency\norder to expand child care access<\/a> during the coronavirus. This is\nespecially aimed at ensuring that critical personnel get child care during the\ncrisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOne big exception:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have any concern about your child, anyone in your family or anyone at your daycare being sick, then contact local health officials right away to figure out the best course of action. If there\u2019s a suspicion of coronavirus in a daycare, then the facility would most likely need to close, at least temporarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the coronavirus symptoms, as a reminder:<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.carelulu.com\/resources\/parents\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Symptoms.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAlso, the rules are changing daily, so tell your child care provider to check the updated guidance from their State child care licensing office on a daily basis, to know what they recommend or mandate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One more thing: here’s an infographic with tips on how to prevent the coronavirus (COVID-19) from spreading. <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\nPrint it for your kiddos at home, and share it with your child care provider so they post it on the classroom walls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Child](\"https:\/\/blog.carelulu.com\/resources\/parents\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Coronavirus-Printable-How-To-Prevent-The-Coronavirus-COVID-19-791x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition to these basic CDC recommendations, child care providers should implement \u201csocial distancing\u201d, and teachers should keep children in small groups (no more than 10 people together in a classroom or activity, including teachers). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Child care providers should also keep children six feet apart as much as possible, and staff should monitor for symptoms (regularly check children and staff temperature, etc.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do I\nstill need to pay tuition if my daycare is closed because of coronavirus? What\nif I decide to stop sending my baby, do I still have to pay for child care?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nAs a parent, you probably feel like you shouldn\u2019t pay if your daycare closed because of coronavirus, or if you think it\u2019s no longer safe to take your baby. And of course, it\u2019s understandable to feel that way. Why pay for a service you\u2019re not using?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bur remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your daycare is most likely a very small business who is struggling financially, just as much as you are (or more). Unless you\u2019re enrolled with one of the large corporations like KinderCare<\/a>, La Petite Academy or Bright Horizons, your child care center may very well shut down forever if you stop paying. It\u2019s even more likely for small in-home daycares. <\/p>\n\n\n\nMany small businesses just don’t have any financial cushion to ride this wave. Some small businesses wouldn\u2019t be able to survive a few weeks<\/a>, without income, some not even a few days. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSo even if you feel like you shouldn\u2019t pay for child care during coronavirus, if you can, then consider supporting your daycare provider. After all, they\u2019re your partner in helping you raise your child! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re also struggling financially due to reduced work hours or no ability to work from home, can you pay a reduced amount (e.g. 25% to 50% of the regular child care tuition) to help keep your daycare afloat? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, and don\u2019t forget:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check your child care enrollment agreement. Every child care contract is different, and there\u2019s actually a chance that you\u2019re legally required to continue paying tuition, even if your daycare shuts down due to coronavirus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you can\u2019t make those required payments, talk to your center director or family child care provider, they may be able to postpone payments, or waive them entirely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now I\u2019d love to hear from you:<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\nIf you’re a parent, are you still sending your baby to child care during coronavirus? Do you keep children home? Or, are you struggling to find a daycare? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or if you’re a child care provider, are you thinking of shutting down? How long can you survive without pay? Or are you still open, and if so, what are you doing to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in your child care facility?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us know by leaving a comment right now. And please share this post on Facebook and Twitter so other parents and providers can share their advice too!<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nCareLuLu<\/strong><\/a> is the easiest way for parents to find great child care and preschool programs. On CareLuLu, parents can find detailed information on over 200,000 licensed daycares (hours, cost, photos, verified<\/em> reviews) and contact providers instantly. Best of all, it\u2019s free! Founded in 2013, CareLuLu\u2019s mission is to improve access to safe, affordable, high-quality child care and early education.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCreated by<\/em> parents for<\/em> parents. Find child care here: www.CareLuLu.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis guide includes tips on how to find child care during closures (no, not all daycares are closed!) Also, we\u2019ll provide answers to questions many parents are asking themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we go any further:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For parents who are essential workers and need to find care and can’t read the full post, click here to find emergency child care near you<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This guide is mostly designed for parents, but if you\u2019re a child\ncare business owner, preschool director or teacher, we also wrote a guide for\nyou. Read it here: Coronavirus In Daycare:\nWhat Should Child Care Providers Do?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a parent of an infant, toddler or preschooler, there\u2019s a lot on your mind right now. Maybe you\u2019re struggling to find child care while many facilities are closed because of coronavirus. Or, maybe you\u2019re wondering if it\u2019s safe to send your baby to daycare during COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s dive right in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may seem like all daycares and preschools and closed during the coronavirus crisis. There are more and more stories of parents struggling to find child care. Obviously, that\u2019s an issue for all working parents, including those who are now working from home, but especially for healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, are all daycares shutting down during coronavirus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n No. It\u2019s true that many child care facilities are closing for safety reasons. Nevertheless, many remain open. At least for now! Some States are requiring child care facilities to close (like public schools), but most States are not, for now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many States are also approving child care facilities to remain open to serve essential personnel. Some daycares must serve essential workers exclusively, others should prioritize<\/em> essential workers but can still serve other families. The rules vary by State, so check with local authorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Click here to find emergency child care near you<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how can parents find a daycare facility that’s open?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some child care centers<\/a> and large preschools<\/a> remain open, but most of the daycares that are open during coronavirus are home-based daycares (aka family child care programs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Why? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, that\u2019s because in-home daycares are licensed to care for\nfewer kids, so they meet the CDC recommendation for\nlimiting group sizes<\/a>. The initial CDC guidance was to cancel\nevents for groups of 250 or more, but as of 3\/16\/20, the CDC recommends limiting\ngroups to 10 people. Most family child care and preschool programs care for\nfewer than 10 children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Click here to find a home daycare near you<\/strong><\/a>. If you\u2019re a parent struggling to find care, another option you can consider is part-time daycare. Maybe you\u2019re working from home because of social distancing guidelines, so you don\u2019t need full-time care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you only need child care for 2-3 days per week, or maybe you need care every day but only for a few hours each day, then part-time care is for you. Many child care and preschool programs, both homes and centers, will offer part-time care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Click here to find a part-time daycare near you.<\/strong><\/a> If your long-term child care facility is closed due to coronavirus, or if you just had a baby and aren\u2019t ready for full-time infant care<\/a>, drop-in child care may be worth considering. Drop-in care comes in various shapes and sizes, from in-home daycares to large centers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if it\u2019s \u201cdrop-in\u201d care, licensed child care facilities always need to maintain teacher-to-child ratios, so make sure to contact child care providers to see if they have an opening when you need it. Note: parents typically need to fill out all the usual paperwork required by licensing (including up-to-date immunization records, etc.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Click here to find a drop-in daycare near you.<\/strong><\/a> That\u2019s a tough one. Ultimately, mom and dad, you\u2019re the only\nones who can make the decision. As a parent, the thing you care the most about\nis the safety and well-being of your little one. However, nobody can guarantee you\nthat your child will not get sick at daycare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the deal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Children get exposed to germs everywhere and getting sick is just part of growing up! However, we also need to consider that now is not a normal time, and you need to do everything you can to make sure your baby doesn\u2019t get sick now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, kids in their first year of daycare are more likely\nto catch colds than those who stay at home. But studies show that the risk of\ninfection declines over time and after one year, a child enrolled in daycare is\nat no greater risk of illness than a child who stays at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, you can make sure your child care provider is doing what they need to in order to protect your baby. Here\u2019s a post we wrote a while ago regarding germs in daycare, and the questions to ask your child care provider<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, parents, the decision is yours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, your child is more likely to be exposed to germs in daycare. However, it doesn\u2019t mean that a daycare isn\u2019t safe for children right now. Child care providers can take a lot of measures to ensure that they offer a clean environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, there\u2019s some good news (kinda):<\/p>\n\n\n\n Children seem to be at a much lower risk than older adults. This virus is still new and there isn\u2019t enough research done to confirm this but so far, for the COVID-19 cases in China, there were no reported deaths in children under 10 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among children 10-19 years old, 0.2% of those diagnosed with\nCOVID-19 died from it. In contrast, 14.8% of those 80 years and older who were\ninfected by COVID-19 died as a result (based on information available to date\nfrom a recent study<\/a> from the\nChinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention).<\/p>\n\n\n\n However:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if young children are at a lower risk, it doesn\u2019t mean that there\u2019s nothing to worry about! Children can spread the virus to their parents (you!), their grandparents and other kids in daycare. If your child care provider is older or your kids are in close contact with their grandparents (or anyone else), you need to be extra cautious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And in general, be kind and mindful. Your actions may impact other people, even if you and your close family are healthy. If you need to work and need to have your child in care, that\u2019s completely fine! But social distancing is important right now, here are some pointers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no easy answer to this question either. Many child care businesses are trying to stay open to ensure that healthcare professionals can still go to work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If all child care facilities shut down, how\nwill doctors and nurses who have infants or toddlers go to work? And all the\npeople who work to ensure that we still have food in the supermarkets? So there\u2019s\ndefinitely a health and safety reason for daycares to remain open. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it\u2019s impossible to deny that there\u2019s a risk for both child care providers, as well as the children in care and their families. So, if they remain open, daycares and preschools should take additional safety precautions to ensure that everyone is safe during coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might be wondering:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well in most cases, no, they\u2019re not. Each state is taking action, and the recommendations vary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, even if public schools are\nrequired to be closed, child care facilities can remain open. Since child care\nbusinesses are privately operated, most authorities aren\u2019t requiring daycares\nto close. At least for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, in Illinois, Gov. Pritzker announced that all public and private schools will be closed from March 17 to March 30 to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but child care centers will remain open<\/a>. They will, however, have to follow strict health and safety requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In California, similarly, schools are closed, but the California Child Care Licensing agency is letting daycares and preschools decide whether to remain open or to close<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan went a step\nfurther and actually enacted an emergency\norder to expand child care access<\/a> during the coronavirus. This is\nespecially aimed at ensuring that critical personnel get child care during the\ncrisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One big exception:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have any concern about your child, anyone in your family or anyone at your daycare being sick, then contact local health officials right away to figure out the best course of action. If there\u2019s a suspicion of coronavirus in a daycare, then the facility would most likely need to close, at least temporarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, the rules are changing daily, so tell your child care provider to check the updated guidance from their State child care licensing office on a daily basis, to know what they recommend or mandate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Print it for your kiddos at home, and share it with your child care provider so they post it on the classroom walls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to these basic CDC recommendations, child care providers should implement \u201csocial distancing\u201d, and teachers should keep children in small groups (no more than 10 people together in a classroom or activity, including teachers). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Child care providers should also keep children six feet apart as much as possible, and staff should monitor for symptoms (regularly check children and staff temperature, etc.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a parent, you probably feel like you shouldn\u2019t pay if your daycare closed because of coronavirus, or if you think it\u2019s no longer safe to take your baby. And of course, it\u2019s understandable to feel that way. Why pay for a service you\u2019re not using?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bur remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your daycare is most likely a very small business who is struggling financially, just as much as you are (or more). Unless you\u2019re enrolled with one of the large corporations like KinderCare<\/a>, La Petite Academy or Bright Horizons, your child care center may very well shut down forever if you stop paying. It\u2019s even more likely for small in-home daycares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many small businesses just don’t have any financial cushion to ride this wave. Some small businesses wouldn\u2019t be able to survive a few weeks<\/a>, without income, some not even a few days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So even if you feel like you shouldn\u2019t pay for child care during coronavirus, if you can, then consider supporting your daycare provider. After all, they\u2019re your partner in helping you raise your child! <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re also struggling financially due to reduced work hours or no ability to work from home, can you pay a reduced amount (e.g. 25% to 50% of the regular child care tuition) to help keep your daycare afloat? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, and don\u2019t forget:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check your child care enrollment agreement. Every child care contract is different, and there\u2019s actually a chance that you\u2019re legally required to continue paying tuition, even if your daycare shuts down due to coronavirus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\u2019t make those required payments, talk to your center director or family child care provider, they may be able to postpone payments, or waive them entirely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re a parent, are you still sending your baby to child care during coronavirus? Do you keep children home? Or, are you struggling to find a daycare? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or if you’re a child care provider, are you thinking of shutting down? How long can you survive without pay? Or are you still open, and if so, what are you doing to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in your child care facility?<\/p>\n\n\n\n CareLuLu<\/strong><\/a> is the easiest way for parents to find great child care and preschool programs. On CareLuLu, parents can find detailed information on over 200,000 licensed daycares (hours, cost, photos, verified<\/em> reviews) and contact providers instantly. Best of all, it\u2019s free! Founded in 2013, CareLuLu\u2019s mission is to improve access to safe, affordable, high-quality child care and early education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Created by<\/em> parents for<\/em> parents. Find child care here: www.CareLuLu.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHere are the questions we\u2019ll answer in this post:<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
How can\nparents find daycare during coronavirus closures?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1. Consider a home daycare<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Consider\npart-time daycare<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Look into\ndrop-in daycare<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIs it\nsafe to take kids to daycare during coronavirus? Should I keep my baby home?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Even without the coronavirus outbreak, kids get sick at daycare all the time. They also get sick at home, or on the playground. <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019d like to share tips with your daycare, send them this\nguide on <\/strong>what child care\nproviders should do during coronavirus<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Below is a chart of the death rate by age group.<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nShould\ndaycares and preschools close during coronavirus?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Are daycares required to shut down during coronavirus? <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Here are the coronavirus symptoms, as a reminder:<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOne more thing: here’s an infographic with tips on how to prevent the coronavirus (COVID-19) from spreading. <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDo I\nstill need to pay tuition if my daycare is closed because of coronavirus? What\nif I decide to stop sending my baby, do I still have to pay for child care?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Now I\u2019d love to hear from you:<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Let us know by leaving a comment right now. And please share this post on Facebook and Twitter so other parents and providers can share their advice too!<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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