Daycare Closed Due to Omicron (BCDC)

[Anonymous]

Our daycare is closed this week due to Omicron. On the one hand, I appreciate that they are trying to keep everyone safe. On the other hand, I am paying for a service that I am not getting and needing to take leave from work. (There have been three confirmed cases at our facility so far.) Just curious how other daycares in the area are handling the surge in cases. Are your daycare facilities still open?

[Anonymous]

Our daycare has been shutting down the specific classrooms where the cases occurred. If yours has 3 cases they may not have enough staff to remain open for the rest of the kids.

[Anonymous]

This is going to be really common for the next 6 - 8 weeks. I don't feel like the government is doing a good enough job communicating the impact of how many people are going to be out (even for 5 days) so that people can prepare.

Sorry OP, that really stinks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare is closed this week due to Omicron. On the one hand, I appreciate that they are trying to keep everyone safe. On the other hand, I am paying for a service that I am not getting and needing to take leave from work. (There have been three confirmed cases at our facility so far.) Just curious how other daycares in the area are handling the surge in cases. Are your daycare facilities still open?

If it makes you feel any better my daycare has 0 confirmed cases and still shut down this week for "caution" because of everyone traveling and seeing family. I had no issue with them requiring a test to return but nope. Also, we absolutely would not have seen anyone indoors to keep daycare open.

I already have a PCR test lined up this Sat morning and will pay for expedited fee. I have a feeling they are going to introduce this requirement soon regardless of the fact that by closing childcare to people who need it (it was sign up only) theyve essentially increased exposure because many parents will need to outsource care to other people/family members/etc. My spouse and I are splitting the day- one works 6-12, the other 12-6 and are doing things with him during our time (aquarium, zoo, parks, etc). Im tired of using my sick and annual leave to sit at home/limited to parks and then have no leave left for enjoyment or pleasure.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for those commiserating. In a weird way it does make me feel better to know others are in the same boat. I wish none of us were forced to be in this position though.

I definitely hear you PP regarding burning through your leave to take the kid(s) to the park/burning off their energy when there are million other things it would be nice to use vacation time on.

[Anonymous]

I think we are at the same daycare. I just wanted to commiserate that it's really hard for us too.

Paying for daycare is already a stretch, but between the class closures, center closure and the strict travel policy, it is getting even harder to cover care.

I was sympathetic to these policies in the short-term or until an under 5 vaccine, but it really feels like we need a new way forward with the contagiousness of Omicron, the lower severity of Omicron and the vaccine delay for under 5. This just isn't sustainable.

[Anonymous]

I agree. I don't favor the long quarantines, but I want my child (and those around him) to wear a mask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. I don't favor the long quarantines, but I want my child (and those around him) to wear a mask.

Thanks. Understand that perspective. This advocacy is for those of us who believe that the US should align with the rest of the world on toddler and preschooler masking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree. I don't favor the long quarantines, but I want my child (and those around him) to wear a mask.

Thanks. Understand that perspective. This advocacy is for those of us who believe that the US should align with the rest of the world on toddler and preschooler masking.

I support as is. Parents who want their kids to mask can still have them do that without enforcing it on other families. I do understand there are different comfort levels but i think the point is to normalize how we think about this in terms of risk. Ignoring the current level of masking, which exceeds much of the available guidance and is different than how other nations are safely handling it, would be an oversight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare is closed this week due to Omicron. On the one hand, I appreciate that they are trying to keep everyone safe. On the other hand, I am paying for a service that I am not getting and needing to take leave from work. (There have been three confirmed cases at our facility so far.) Just curious how other daycares in the area are handling the surge in cases. Are your daycare facilities still open?

Think of it this way. You don’t pay for attendance. Rather, you pay for your spot. Similarly like when you go on vacation you still have to pay your mortgage on the house even though you’re not using it.

Your daycare‘s responsibility is to try and keep the entire group safe which is why they might have to close. If they stay open they could potentially be spreading Covid to the entire group and daycare and sill have to end up closing anyway.

[Anonymous]

They closed because of cases, not for the fun of it.

[Anonymous]

What governments need to do is pay compensation to one of the two working parents so they can stay home with their quarantined kids, and make it illegal for an employer to fire a parent in this situation...


... just like some European countries are doing.

But don't put the burden on teachers. They need to protect themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare is closed this week due to Omicron. On the one hand, I appreciate that they are trying to keep everyone safe. On the other hand, I am paying for a service that I am not getting and needing to take leave from work. (There have been three confirmed cases at our facility so far.) Just curious how other daycares in the area are handling the surge in cases. Are your daycare facilities still open?

Think of it this way. You don’t pay for attendance. Rather, you pay for your spot. Similarly like when you go on vacation you still have to pay your mortgage on the house even though you’re not using it.

Your daycare‘s responsibility is to try and keep the entire group safe which is why they might have to close. If they stay open they could potentially be spreading Covid to the entire group and daycare and sill have to end up closing anyway.

Yeah but in the case of a house I'm in charge of whether I use my house or not, not someone else. I'm choosing to take the risk I'm choosing to use my leave in a matter of my choosing
Child Care should not depend on potentials. It's been considered an essential business for a long time and you don't just get to arbitrarily close without actually having cases. Because unfortunately what actually is going to happen is there are going to be cases and now you've made me use all of my leave for potentials and so I'll need to take leave without pay when there are actually cases.

[Anonymous]

Also, we are two years into covid now. Facilities should have contingency plans in place to handle three cases without having to shutdown the entire facility. Just close the impacted classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What governments need to do is pay compensation to one of the two working parents so they can stay home with their quarantined kids, and make it illegal for an employer to fire a parent in this situation...


... just like some European countries are doing.

But don't put the burden on teachers. They need to protect themselves.

Why is this the government's problem? You hire a babysitter or use leave.