Daycare closing on Monday (3/16) to clean

[Anonymous]

Our daycare just informed us that while they don’t typically follow the DCPS professional development closure schedule (which of course they don’t...what parent would put up with that?) they are closing on Monday, following DCPS’ lead, for the purpose of cleaning the center.

Am I wrong in thinking that this is ridiculous? They’re already doing lots of daily cleaning/disinfecting because it’s a daycare and even a deep clean could be done on the weekend or before or after hours (the whole center is only 3-4 rooms). Not to mention that DCPS closure on Monday is not for cleaning, it’s for contingency planning for remote learning.

[Anonymous]

So daycare workers need to work on the weekend to keep your kids and families safe so you’re not inconvenienced? No.

[Anonymous]

Yes you’re wrong.

[Anonymous]

Our daycare is doing extra cleaning at night and weekends. OP, I think you have a right to be annoyed.

[Anonymous]

I would be annoyed too. I need to save every hour of leave for when daycare is closed entirely, not wasting it on a “cleaning day”. The rationale for why schools are closed (teacher training) makes sense to me, and I think that’s perfectly reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare is doing extra cleaning at night and weekends. OP, I think you have a right to be annoyed.

My kids are no longer in daycare but yes I would be annoyed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So daycare workers need to work on the weekend to keep your kids and families safe so you’re not inconvenienced? No.

The teachers arent doing the cleaning you moron.

[Anonymous]

The should just shut down for 2-3 weeks. The level of germs they are exposed to for so little pay is not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Ever tried to socially distance yourself from a young child, let alone a room of them. Adults are now encouraged not to shake hands with another adult. How about hanging out in a small room with tiny humans who know nothing about following good respiratory hygiene. They can't even wipe their own nose or cover their cough. Not to mention they lick everything in reach for kicks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ever tried to socially distance yourself from a young child, let alone a room of them. Adults are now encouraged not to shake hands with another adult. How about hanging out in a small room with tiny humans who know nothing about following good respiratory hygiene. They can't even wipe their own nose or cover their cough. Not to mention they lick everything in reach for kicks.

So, are you saying daycares should simply close? If not, I’m not sure your post has much to do with the topic. An extra cleaning can be done outside of operating hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So daycare workers need to work on the weekend to keep your kids and families safe so you’re not inconvenienced? No.

The teachers arent doing the cleaning you moron.

At many daycares teachers do the cleaning. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happening here.

On the other hand, they may be brining a company in, and choosing a day when they'd have a lot of staff absences, since teachers have kids, and kid absences since parents with older siblings will be taking off.

[Anonymous]

Would you prefer they tell you that they are closing the center because they do not have enough staff, that 60% of the staff have children in DCPS and will be staying home with their own children on that day?

Or would you rather they say that they are adding a full school deep cleaning on the weekend and they will be charging each family $50 to pay for the cost of an extra cleaning that is not a regular cost incorporated into the tuition?

Most daycares operate pretty close to the budget and do not make much money. So major extra costs like a full deep cleaning would be something they pay on top of regularly scheduled cleaning and for them to hire a service outside regular business hours is more expensive. Alternatively, if they have a day that they know that a lot of staff will not be available, they can close on that day, not pay the staff (most of the staff is paid hourly only for hours worked) and they can then schedule the cleaners to come during the day when it is cheaper and also use the money saved on staff wages to help cover the additional cleaning costs without having to charge the clients extra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you prefer they tell you that they are closing the center because they do not have enough staff, that 60% of the staff have children in DCPS and will be staying home with their own children on that day?

Or would you rather they say that they are adding a full school deep cleaning on the weekend and they will be charging each family $50 to pay for the cost of an extra cleaning that is not a regular cost incorporated into the tuition?

Most daycares operate pretty close to the budget and do not make much money. So major extra costs like a full deep cleaning would be something they pay on top of regularly scheduled cleaning and for them to hire a service outside regular business hours is more expensive. Alternatively, if they have a day that they know that a lot of staff will not be available, they can close on that day, not pay the staff (most of the staff is paid hourly only for hours worked) and they can then schedule the cleaners to come during the day when it is cheaper and also use the money saved on staff wages to help cover the additional cleaning costs without having to charge the clients extra.

If my choice is close daycare on a day I need to be at work or pay an extra $50 for weekend cleaning, then I would pay the $50 without question.

[Anonymous]

Our daycare closed abruptly this week to clean because someone tested positive for COVID-19 elsewhere in the building. Given how serious this illness is, I wasn’t at all bothered by the inconvenience or the fact that we had to rush to pick our daughter up. Have some perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare closed abruptly this week to clean because someone tested positive for COVID-19 elsewhere in the building. Given how serious this illness is, I wasn’t at all bothered by the inconvenience or the fact that we had to rush to pick our daughter up. Have some perspective.

That’s a very different situation than what OP described. You had a whole federal agency move to telework because of a possible case.