Early childhood educators told to reopen for kids of essential workers or risk losing payment

The provincial government has announced free child care for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some operators say they're being strong-armed into reopening, and one parent says she'sconcerned aboutthe possible health and safety fallout.

Early childhood educator and advocate Susan Baker says regulated daycares have been told by government to open their doors to children of essential workers or risk possibly having their compensation packagerevoked. The province had originally announced on Sunday it would pay regulated homes so parents wouldn't be on the hook for child-care costs while their kids were home.

"We were blindsided by this," Baker said Wednesday.

"We want to make sure it's safe for our workers, for the children in our care, and our own families, and right now they're asking for socialdistancing. I'm not sure how we're going to social distancea two-year-oldfromanother two-year-old."

They're not asking teachers to open up a classroom and look after, after-school age children.- Susan Baker

Baker said early childhood educators are scratching their heads over how to properly educate and provide care.

"It seems what's being asked of us right now is to step in for child-care sitting and minding," she said.

Baker is suggesting early childhood educators go into homesto limit the possible spread of the virus.

"They're not asking teachers to open up a classroom and look after after-school age children, but they're asking us to do so, but not with the programs we're used to delivering.'

Mom out of options

It's not just operators struggling with the decision.

Jodi Quigley, a single mom of a seven-year-old boy, worksas a personal-care attendantat Pleasantville Towers, along-term care home in St. John's.

"I'm really torn," Quigley said when reached by phone Thursday, about using the free child-care service. "In my ideal world, I would love it if he didn't have to."

Quigley has been relying on her mother for child care, but as more cases of coronavirus are discovered locally, that plan is on hold.

"She's quite healthy herself but she's living in a 50-pluscondo, and like we knowfromhealth-care professionals, thechildren are great carriers for this," she said.

"Withthe global pandemic around the world, my mom is worried."

Quigley can also rely on her sister, but she said it won't work in the long term, as she herself has two children and is working from home.

Quigley is one of many essential workers who are stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, she needs access to stable child care. On the other, Quigley is concernedover the spread of COVID-19 reaching child-care centres.

• Free child care for essential workers: here's how you can apply

"My child could sit down right now and tell you everything about coronavirus, COVID-19, where it stems from, how it gets transmitted," Quigley said.

"He knows he's not supposed to be close with his friends, but he's a little boy."

Quigley's greatest concern is that the children who will need free daycare come from homes where their parents could be on the front line of the virus.

"What happens if you have [children] of acute care, long-term care, police officer parents, and all of these children are together. How are the [early childhood educators]going to teach these children?"

Premier addresses concerns

In the daily COVID-19 briefing Thursday, Premier Dwight Ball asked early childhood educators and daycaresto work with the province to help essential workers.

"We continue to support them, continue to make payments with their operating grants, as an example, continue to pay them as if these spaces were full, Ball said.

"Allwe're asking now as part of this province working together to support those essential workers and others in the future is that they take on a reduced capacity."

Baker was watching the news conference, and disagrees with some of Ball's comments.

"He's using that, that they're being paid, but not all centres get [operating grants].

"I know [Ball] has a lot on his plate right now dealing with more than this we're dealing with an entire society that's trying not to collapse,but we're trying to do that too. We don't want to put more people at risk."

Ball said free child care may soon be opened up to other essential workers, like grocery store clerks.

Right now, the government says the free child care will be for ages one to 13.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said in an email that child-care services that accept a compensation agreement may be contacted to offer essential child-care services, and that the compensation grant will be given to centres that open on government's request.

"We are working through their questions and concerns to determine how this service can best be safely provided," the email said.

Guidelines have set the operating capacity at half the total maximum, which is 30 people adults and children.

A homeroom cannot exceed 10 people, with social distancing of six feet during group activities.

There are also specific guidelines on centre sanitizing, cleaning and handwashing.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador