Every time one of my 2-year-old’s classmates tests positive for COVID, here’s what happens: My daughter is sent home to quarantine for 10 days. My husband and I attempt to work and parent full time, an impossible feat. We lose income, the impact of which is felt doubly since we have to pay for child care we can’t use. We lose days off at work. We lose our minds. And then, we do it again two weeks later, when, inevitably, another child tests positive.

Spend any time online lately, and I’m sure you’ve encountered a story like mine. Across the country, parents of young children are burned out and struggling. So, why aren’t we doing anything about it?

Since the early days of the pandemic, the virus and our knowledge of it have evolved. We know that the risk to young children is similar to that of the flu or other respiratory illnesses. We know that constant disruptions to child care are negatively impacting the mental health and financial security of families. We know this is unsustainable.

It’s time for realistic guidelines that both protect our community and acknowledge the realities that working families face. One option is “test and stay” programs, like those in Massachusetts. Another option is the guidelines put forth by the PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, designed specifically for child care centers.

I’m not sure what the best way forward is – that’s for the experts to figure out. But I know I can’t do this again in two weeks.

Virginia Moore
Portland

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