The developing issue- COVID-19

[Peacefulbird]

This is an emergency and we need to be treated fairly while being flexible with parents. I had one parent who was part time (2 days a week) pull her child out the 2nd week in March. She told me he will no longer come to the daycare in April and can't afford to pay as his dad lost his job due to the virus. I was fine with that. I've chosen to stay open. 2 parents have not been bringing their children. In April, I will only have 1 child. My question is: Do I charge the other parents for the April fees, even though their children aren't coming? I need some advice, because I'm torn.

I guess it depends. My understanding is, parents are also finding it hard to balance their work (from home now) with taking care their kids, in many cases it also influences their production.

In your case, obviously not your fault but, you do not have their kids in care and also your expenses are reduced (food, water etc).

My suggestion would be to discuss with them and negotiate. But, if they can't pay then there is absolutely nothing else to do. It's a very challenging situation for everyone.

As they mentioned hopefully the government can help us out somehow.

[Peacefulbird]

It just makes me angry that we are now considered essential workers without the benefits of licensed childcare employees. The Government barely recognized us before except to pass regulations. Now the Province of Ontario expects us to operate as essential businesses, SERIOUSLY??!!!

Anyways, at this point homedaycares PRIVATE and LICENSED aren't mandated to close. Some still operating. You need to evaluate the pros and cons. Many of us have close family that are at high risk so, we decided to close. Maybe some of you do not have that risk and continue open.

The government is looking currently into probably opening few licensed centres (that were originally closed for the virus) and bring staff to care for children that come from families that are working on the front line.

Think about this, it was your choice to work independently many have decided to work with the licensed sector but still don't have benefits there called "providers"

Working in a centre is also a choice but benefits comes from the deductions of your monthly paycheck.

Being independent helps you to avoid those deductions but then, the responsability to save for the rainy days, is yours.

It kind of makes common sense, when the government insists that you are part of the "essential bussines", because many of us have been working and developing close ties with families that work on the front line. Don't we see often these cheese slogans? Or was it just to convince others?: A SECOND HOME, A HOME AWAY FROM HOME, AN EXTENSION OF YOUR FAMILY etc.

Now theyre asking you to step up, if you can (after evaluating pros and cons) and decide if you'll keep supporting those families that need you now.

At this point doesn't matter who gets recognized or not it's a virus that is threatening our lives.

[CLS]

I just offered my daycare parents to pay 1/2 pay for the next 3 weeks if they choose to stay home. But after that I’m not sure. Some of my parents don’t have the income to do that

[bright sparks]

It just makes me angry that we are now considered essential workers without the benefits of licensed childcare employees. The Government barely recognized us before except to pass regulations. Now the Province of Ontario expects us to operate as essential businesses, SERIOUSLY??!!!

The list was put together only to specify which businesses are allowed to operate at this time and the category they highlight them as are "essential services". That designation is not relative to the childcare industry specifically when it comes to licensed or unlicensed. Nobody and nowhere is the government telling you that you are expected to operate. This was put into place to force closures of certain high risk unnecessary businesses.

This has nothing to do with licensing or regulations and everything to do with risk factors. Home daycares are at a much lower risk than centres due to capacity. If we are all social distancing and independent home daycare providers are putting policies in place for sickness and expectations they have of their current families then there is a lower risk to daycare kids than when we go to the grocery store without them because in most cases it is a much more intimate and controlled circle of people.

I urge people to calm down, it is stressful beyond belief, but I am grateful that we are listed as essential because if my daycare closes it will be my call not a forced closure from them. Also reality check, if you close now, when do you reopen? Closing for 2 weeks while your daycare families are not locked down may reduce exposure for yourself, but after two weeks with the province and country still operational, you just open up the risk again so more realistically daycares could be closed for a month or two which is a far greater hardship financially for us and our daycare families and doesn't really change the risk to our particular set of circumstances.

Don't misunderstand me for being someone who is not putting safety first, but if your daycare families are already social distancing, working from home or in an environment where separation is enforced and taken seriously, and those families do not have a vulnerable person living with them and they are not visiting anyone or having visitors, then the most exposure to a person those kids have is the provider and the people living under their roof.

I have an amended policy that covers COVID-19 and it was overseen by a doctor working out of an acute centre in Hamilton,ON. She expressed that she sees no major risk factors in my daycare staying open at this time and I have spoken in great detail to all my families to be clear on their movements. It is more a question of ethics than Health and Safety. If I had families whose members worked in the public sectors with regular uncontrolled exposure to massive amounts of people then I would likely be making different choices, but consider the facts with a clear head, not with anxiety and stress and emotion at the forefront because then our choices may be misguided and out of panic which doesn't help anyone.

It has taken me a while to get to this resolve, but there is nobody to be angry with. I worked 2 full time jobs 2 weeks ago and I have lost one of those losing a $1000 PER WEEK!!! I know the stress of this and it has taken me that long to chill out and stop losing my mind.

It is awful for everyone but right now I am focusing on reducing my outgoings, being resourceful with freezer meal prep, catching up on household chores and jobs around the house and focusing on how fortunate I am to be able to work, still have a job and be in a position to make the best choices for my family, daycare families and my business.