As a parent, you’re a pro at expecting the unexpected. Spring break, a sick kid, and snow days are a few of the many things that working parents routinely juggle. But finding alternate arrangements when your usual daycare provider isn’t an option can be challenging in the best of times.
COVID-19 has thrown parents around the world a curveball no one saw coming, a shuttered childcare network. You’re home. The kids are home. To make a stressful situation worse, the buck, literally, doesn’t stop there. Moms and dads are left wondering, what will become of their recurring daycare payments? Unfortunately, we really don’t know quite yet. But rest assured, we’ll update this as we learn more.
A lot of factors have made managing the outbreak a challenge. U.S. health experts have been quick to point out that federalism and our patchwork of state governments makes it difficult to implement solutions consistently. The same goes for education. Canada’s education system is also controlled by its provinces and territories.
This brings us back to the state of daycare and those recurring costs. A number of non-profits have reached out to Congress in a March 11, 2020 letter asking for assistance to help families and providers. CTV News in Toronto published a story on March 17 about a parent who just learned the licensed childcare provider her two children attend will continue to charge fees, despite being directed to close from March 14 through April 5. When the station reached out to the Ontario government, it was told that the minister of education was reviewing the daycare expenses in light of current of the crisis.
Here are some links and resources about the impact of the COVID-19 on families and daycare. For more family and consumer information, visit BBB.org/coronavirus and follow our hashtag #BBBDelivers on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
ChildCare Aware of America
Child Welfare League of America
United Way Worldwide
Local United Way COVID-19 Response
CDC Childcare Closures, Ways to Keep Learning
