Parents— Act Now to Prevent Daycare/PreK closures

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

OP's post is tone-deaf, and I think she's wrong that shortened quarantines and test-to-stay are more politically charged than ending masking of young children. I will say that:

- There has not been enough attention paid to the issues faced by families with young children. While certainly most of the posters on DCUM that use daycare are probably UMC and lack sufficient empathy for child care workers, many low-income families use daycare (that's why there are subsidies for it) and desperately need it in order to stay employed. Currently, if a parent tests positive for Covid, an unvaccinated child needs to quarantine for 24 days (14 days past the parent's 10 days) unless the positive adult is able to isolate from the family, which requires having space and therefore money. That is a massive burden that's going to fall on a ton of families in the next couple of weeks. Can my family handle it - yes, we both WFH and have understanding employers. But for most families it's a massive, massive ask.

- You assume the only parties involved here are parents and teachers. But there are also the interests of the kids to think of. Their development matters. I find it extremely hard to believe that masking young children for half the day makes one bean of difference in preventing transmission of Covid. Why has this not been studied yet? Because parents have not wanted to rock the boat, most of us (unlike OP) respect our children's teachers and don't want to do anything to make them feel less safe. But it's time to step up for our kids.

Oh, well, if some unqualified rando on a mommy message board “finds it extremely hard to believe,” that settles it then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work for a child development center that has several locations in the DMV. I can tell you that DC is not going to be lightening up on masking or quarantining any time soon. Keep in mind, we work with the only population that still cannot get vaccinated.

We have been open and operating all of our centers since June 2020. From June 2020 until the past couple of months, we had ZERO children (infants through Kindergarten) that we know of that had Covid. We had a few teachers who mostly got it from relatives, and had to only close a class here and there when a teacher tested positive. We did not have to close an entire center at all. The protocols we had put in place were working and prevented outbreaks in our centers.

This all changed starting this fall and with the onset of Omicron. We have had several children with Covid and have closed classes several times, and one instance where we closed an entire center for a few days because four classes were impacted and we had to stop the spread. We had not changed our protocols at all so this variant is obviously a lot more contagious.

Childcare workers and leadership are very worried about this rapid spread and keeping everyone safe. No matter how loud parents complain, I just don't see the guidance changing any time soon. And if we did ease up on these requirements, you're going to see a lot more classrooms and whole centers closing more frequently.

Oh - and you'd be surprised how well the children actually do with the masks. They do remove them to eat and nap, so there are many periods throughout the day where they are unmasked.

But we're all worried that January is going to be a shit show when all the centers that have been closed for the holidays reopen and everyone who travelled comes back. We're all testing, but that is not reliable either. Ugh. Let's hope this variant fizzles out as fast as it blew in.

Stay healthy everone!

So, let’s get this straight— kids are going well with masks because they don’t have to wear masks for much of the day. Yet somehow you seem to think they help. Is that right?

I don't really care that much about masks. I mean, I think they're dumb for little kids, as does nearly every public health organization outside the US, but I think there are bigger problems to focus on. However, I do find it frustrating that people aren't willing to look at what is actually going on and acknowledge those masks aren't doing much.

She just showed you evidence of success and you say masks don't work.

A sleeping person isn't talking. Their exhalations arent traveling very far. An eating person can be somewhat distanced. But yes, it remains a risk. The thing about risk is we mitigate for it. The daycare will be using measures to make risky activities less risky. Like when you use condoms.

The big Bangladesh study for one. Surely you saw that, didn’t you? No reduction in cases at all when using cloth masks. No reduction in people under 50 when wearing surgical masks.

You do know you can cherry pick a study to support any cause you want to push, right?

Got a better RCT to point to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

+2. I called my representatives this week to say we NEED paid covid leave like under FFCRA, more universal if possible. The daycares are not the source of the problem here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

OP's post is tone-deaf, and I think she's wrong that shortened quarantines and test-to-stay are more politically charged than ending masking of young children. I will say that:

- There has not been enough attention paid to the issues faced by families with young children. While certainly most of the posters on DCUM that use daycare are probably UMC and lack sufficient empathy for child care workers, many low-income families use daycare (that's why there are subsidies for it) and desperately need it in order to stay employed. Currently, if a parent tests positive for Covid, an unvaccinated child needs to quarantine for 24 days (14 days past the parent's 10 days) unless the positive adult is able to isolate from the family, which requires having space and therefore money. That is a massive burden that's going to fall on a ton of families in the next couple of weeks. Can my family handle it - yes, we both WFH and have understanding employers. But for most families it's a massive, massive ask.

- You assume the only parties involved here are parents and teachers. But there are also the interests of the kids to think of. Their development matters. I find it extremely hard to believe that masking young children for half the day makes one bean of difference in preventing transmission of Covid. Why has this not been studied yet? Because parents have not wanted to rock the boat, most of us (unlike OP) respect our children's teachers and don't want to do anything to make them feel less safe. But it's time to step up for our kids.

Oh, well, if some unqualified rando on a mommy message board “finds it extremely hard to believe,” that settles it then.

By all means, shower me with your misogynistic jabs. The fact remains that:
- Experts like Mike Osterholm are saying cloth and surgical masks are useless against omicron
- Children in child care take their masks off during at least half the day
- Well fitting masks for young kids are not easy to come by which means a fair number are wearing ill fitting masks
- Young kids frequently wear masks incorrectly

So, you know, you be the judge, I'm just an unqualified random on a mommy message board and you know anything associated with "mommies" and women in general is dumb so..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

+2. I called my representatives this week to say we NEED paid covid leave like under FFCRA, more universal if possible. The daycares are not the source of the problem here.

You’re never going to see paid leave at the level required to accommodate regular 10-14 day quarantines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

+2. I called my representatives this week to say we NEED paid covid leave like under FFCRA, more universal if possible. The daycares are not the source of the problem here.

You’re never going to see paid leave at the level required to accommodate regular 10-14 day quarantines.

Something like 80 hours (like FFCRA) would sure soften the blow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

+2. I called my representatives this week to say we NEED paid covid leave like under FFCRA, more universal if possible. The daycares are not the source of the problem here.

You’re never going to see paid leave at the level required to accommodate regular 10-14 day quarantines.

It should only be 5 per CDC if not symptomatic correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

+2. I called my representatives this week to say we NEED paid covid leave like under FFCRA, more universal if possible. The daycares are not the source of the problem here.

You’re never going to see paid leave at the level required to accommodate regular 10-14 day quarantines.

It should only be 5 per CDC if not symptomatic correct?

It should be, but the CDC still has carved out a special exception for prek kids, where they’re still saying 14 days. Even 5 days with a negative rapid would a huge improvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It should be, but the CDC still has carved out a special exception for prek kids, where they’re still saying 14 days. Even 5 days with a negative rapid would a huge improvement.

Can you link to that special exception? Not doubting or disagreeing with you, I just truly didn't know that and would like to read it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It should be, but the CDC still has carved out a special exception for prek kids, where they’re still saying 14 days. Even 5 days with a negative rapid would a huge improvement.

Can you link to that special exception? Not doubting or disagreeing with you, I just truly didn't know that and would like to read it.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/child-care-guidance.html

"Get tested immediately and quarantine (stay at home and away from other people) immediately for a period of 14 days from the date of their last exposure, unless they receive different instructions from their ECE program or public health official.
If they initially test negative, test again 5-7 days after the date of their last known exposure to determine if they have developed COVID-19 as early as possible. They should continue to quarantine for the full 14 days even if they test negative. Isolate immediately if they develop symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive and notify the ECE program so that they can conduct any necessary contact tracing."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

OP's post is tone-deaf, and I think she's wrong that shortened quarantines and test-to-stay are more politically charged than ending masking of young children. I will say that:

- There has not been enough attention paid to the issues faced by families with young children. While certainly most of the posters on DCUM that use daycare are probably UMC and lack sufficient empathy for child care workers, many low-income families use daycare (that's why there are subsidies for it) and desperately need it in order to stay employed. Currently, if a parent tests positive for Covid, an unvaccinated child needs to quarantine for 24 days (14 days past the parent's 10 days) unless the positive adult is able to isolate from the family, which requires having space and therefore money. That is a massive burden that's going to fall on a ton of families in the next couple of weeks. Can my family handle it - yes, we both WFH and have understanding employers. But for most families it's a massive, massive ask.

- You assume the only parties involved here are parents and teachers. But there are also the interests of the kids to think of. Their development matters. I find it extremely hard to believe that masking young children for half the day makes one bean of difference in preventing transmission of Covid. Why has this not been studied yet? Because parents have not wanted to rock the boat, most of us (unlike OP) respect our children's teachers and don't want to do anything to make them feel less safe. But it's time to step up for our kids.

Oh, well, if some unqualified rando on a mommy message board “finds it extremely hard to believe,” that settles it then.

By all means, shower me with your misogynistic jabs. The fact remains that:
- Experts like Mike Osterholm are saying cloth and surgical masks are useless against omicron
- Children in child care take their masks off during at least half the day
- Well fitting masks for young kids are not easy to come by which means a fair number are wearing ill fitting masks
- Young kids frequently wear masks incorrectly

So, you know, you be the judge, I'm just an unqualified random on a mommy message board and you know anything associated with "mommies" and women in general is dumb so..

It literally IS a mommy message board, you massive drama queen (though I’m sure you’ll clutch your pearls at “drama queen” too, because you love to play the victim).

Cloth and surgical masks don’t work? Cool. We’ll require child sized 94 and 95s. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A recent DCUM thread was from a preschool teacher that wants to quit in January because people keep sending their kids in sick during the pandemic and it is stressing her out. Daycares pay terribly. PP, you are lucky that anyone wants to work at/run these germ cesspools. Add more burden to them and see how it goes.

+1 to all this. Daycare workers are massively underpaid and have had a hard job during the pandemic. And you're demanding their employers remove protections for them?

+1

OP's post is tone-deaf, and I think she's wrong that shortened quarantines and test-to-stay are more politically charged than ending masking of young children. I will say that:

- There has not been enough attention paid to the issues faced by families with young children. While certainly most of the posters on DCUM that use daycare are probably UMC and lack sufficient empathy for child care workers, many low-income families use daycare (that's why there are subsidies for it) and desperately need it in order to stay employed. Currently, if a parent tests positive for Covid, an unvaccinated child needs to quarantine for 24 days (14 days past the parent's 10 days) unless the positive adult is able to isolate from the family, which requires having space and therefore money. That is a massive burden that's going to fall on a ton of families in the next couple of weeks. Can my family handle it - yes, we both WFH and have understanding employers. But for most families it's a massive, massive ask.

- You assume the only parties involved here are parents and teachers. But there are also the interests of the kids to think of. Their development matters. I find it extremely hard to believe that masking young children for half the day makes one bean of difference in preventing transmission of Covid. Why has this not been studied yet? Because parents have not wanted to rock the boat, most of us (unlike OP) respect our children's teachers and don't want to do anything to make them feel less safe. But it's time to step up for our kids.

Oh, well, if some unqualified rando on a mommy message board “finds it extremely hard to believe,” that settles it then.

By all means, shower me with your misogynistic jabs. The fact remains that:
- Experts like Mike Osterholm are saying cloth and surgical masks are useless against omicron
- Children in child care take their masks off during at least half the day
- Well fitting masks for young kids are not easy to come by which means a fair number are wearing ill fitting masks
- Young kids frequently wear masks incorrectly

So, you know, you be the judge, I'm just an unqualified random on a mommy message board and you know anything associated with "mommies" and women in general is dumb so..

It literally IS a mommy message board, you massive drama queen (though I’m sure you’ll clutch your pearls at “drama queen” too, because you love to play the victim).

Cloth and surgical masks don’t work? Cool. We’ll require child sized 94 and 95s. Problem solved.

I appreciate you found more ways to make yourself look like a sexist POS. Do you get that quality respirators need to be fitted and worn correctly in order to work? You want families to spend significant amounts of money and produce significant amounts of waste for a face covering that only works if a 2-4 year old wears it correctly? And even if they.can keep it on the teachers have to put it on every child correctly after the 4-5 snacks/meals/Naptime periods where they take them off? That's ridiculous and not going to happen.

I have yet to see

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don’t understand what you think demonizes childcare workers in the OP. All I said was childcare centers and prek settings don’t have an (financial) incentive to push for changes to quarantine policies because they aren’t negatively impacted by kids getting pushed into unnecessarily long quarantines. What is incorrect or unfair about that?

Sure they are, they lose business when they can't provide child care

Sure… how many child care centers are having parents drop out over quarantine/isolation requirements? As far as I can tell, nearly all are following the lead from the county and state health departments. So if you need child care, which if you’re paying a bunch of money, you probably do, then you’re stuck.

My kid’s preschool tried to move to a 7-day quarantine with a negative test, to align with the employee policy, but the county made vague threats, causing the preschool to quickly back down. While they've lobbied the county for other changes to child care policy, they didn't lobby for changes to the quarantine policy.

MoCo? I am starting to hate this county so much. My DC has had two negative PCRs- at day 4 and day 8, but still has to complete a 14 day quarantine per the county. They clearly just want to stick it to working families, which really baffles me for all the talk about equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don’t understand what you think demonizes childcare workers in the OP. All I said was childcare centers and prek settings don’t have an (financial) incentive to push for changes to quarantine policies because they aren’t negatively impacted by kids getting pushed into unnecessarily long quarantines. What is incorrect or unfair about that?

Sure they are, they lose business when they can't provide child care

Sure… how many child care centers are having parents drop out over quarantine/isolation requirements? As far as I can tell, nearly all are following the lead from the county and state health departments. So if you need child care, which if you’re paying a bunch of money, you probably do, then you’re stuck.

My kid’s preschool tried to move to a 7-day quarantine with a negative test, to align with the employee policy, but the county made vague threats, causing the preschool to quickly back down. While they've lobbied the county for other changes to child care policy, they didn't lobby for changes to the quarantine policy.

MoCo? I am starting to hate this county so much. My DC has had two negative PCRs- at day 4 and day 8, but still has to complete a 14 day quarantine per the county. They clearly just want to stick it to working families, which really baffles me for all the talk about equity.

Correct- MoCo’s DHHS is the problem.

[Anonymous]

I'm not handling quarantines on my own anymore. When my kids get sent home, my spouse is at least trading off days with me. The hospital and patients will have a fun time dealing with the cancelled procedures.