(WSYR-TV) — People are going back to work and childcare is a big part of the nation’s comeback from coronavirus. But, what will a safer daycare look like?
Of the 244,000 licensed childcare facilities and in-home care providers in the United States. Out of those, 60 percent were forced to close due to the pandemic.
According to the National Child Care Association, 30 to 50 percent are projected to never reopen.
The daycare centers that do reopen will need to change their practices to keep children protected from coronavirus, which will in turn keep the virus from infecting the adults in their lives.
Our question is: What should parents be looking for in a daycare that keeps children safe and healthy?
Dr. Robert Dracker of Summerwood Pediatrics said if it were up to him, here’s what he would require from childcare centers:
- Daily temperature checks
- Children with fevers or symptoms must get doctor clearance
- Children who have been exposed must stay home for two weeks
- Surfaces should be cleaned twice daily
- Parents should complete a risk form each week
Dracker said the current guidelines from the federal government have not been very helpful. He thinks the State Department of Health should develop standards for daycare in the time of COVID-19.
He also thinks that one of the requirements should be that all children attending daycare must receive a flu vaccine this fall.
