As Public Health reviews COVID-19 daycare rules, some N.L. parents say kids have been forgotten

Public Health is reviewing its COVID-19 policies relating to daycares as Newfoundland and Labrador parents continue to express frustration at isolation requirements and repeated closures.

N.L. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said Public Health is aware of the difficult situation many parents are facingbut the current policies are in place because children under five can't be vaccinated against COVID-19 and generally don't wear masks.

"Our team is looking at that right now and just seeing how we can try to keep the risk as low as possible while preventing that disruption as much as possible," she said in a media briefing Thursday. "It is a very delicate balance."

While children in K-12 schools are not required to stay home if they've been exposed to COVID-19 through a non-household contact, children in daycares have to stay home and self-isolate.

Angela Dunphy, a mother of two in the Humber Valley region of western Newfoundland, told CBC News her three-year-old and one-year-old are now on their second isolation period in less than a month.

Her sons were able to return to daycare on Jan. 28 after it shut down earlier in the month, she said, butthey wereback for two days before they were again exposed to COVID-19 and sent home to self-isolate.

While Dunphy has been concerned for the physical health of her children over the course of the pandemic, she said it's their social and emotional health that's suffering now.

"Children need to socialize and they need consistency in the routine, and this constant cycle of isolation is not healthy for their well-being," she said.

Dunphy said her kids love attending daycareand have missed the structure in their days. She's tried to help them understand why they can't see family and friends, but it's been difficult.

"I think now they're really starting to suffer," she explained. "My son was born at the start of the pandemic. He's never known a life without it."

Dunphy is a speech language pathologist and can't work from home, so her husband, a self-employed engineer, has worked at home as much as possible. She said it's been "pretty much impossible" for him to get much work done while looking after their two kids.

Dunphy said she's been following public health guidance throughoutthe pandemic but hasbeen struggling more lately.

"I find it really hard seeing my children upset about not seeing family members and struggling to not be around friends. I hate having to leave them home and go to work when I know that they are missing me."

Provincewide problem

In an email Thursday, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said 13 daycares in Newfoundland and Labrador are closed entirely, while 10 are operating at reduced capacity. The spokesperson noted that some daycares may reopen after a day or two once staff receive negative test results.

Kimberly Burke, a Mount Pearl mother of two, said her two-year-old son has been out of daycare more than he's been there since Christmas. Burke said her son thrives onroutine, and she's noticed behavioural changes since that routine has been taken away.

Burke is on maternity leave and is able to look after both of her children, but said it's difficult to keep her two-year-old and her four-month-old entertained, especially during the winter.

"The reason why we put him in daycare was to get him socialized and get him amongst his peers and get his brain going," she said.

Honestly, my mental health has declined majorly since Christmas break because of this.- Kimberly Burke

As a new mother, Burke has felt the isolation, too.

"Honestly, my mental health has declined majorly since Christmas break because of this," she said.

Burke said she's been nervous about seeing people and going places throughout the pandemic, but the past month has been the worst since the beginning.

Both Dunphy and Burke say they would like to see policy changed to allow children to reenter daycare after 72 hours and a negative PCR test.

"I think the government certainly forgot about children under five," Burke said. "The children under five are impacted and parents are even more impacted."

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