Did your daycare or preschool announce closure based on the VA governor banning EVENTS of 100+?

[Anonymous]

I am aware that the Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency, and that all schools K-12 are closed. Today, he announced a ban on all "SPECIAL PUBLIC EVENTS of over 100 people statewide." He said "EVENTS that bring together more than 100 in a SINGLE ROOM or a CONFINED SPACE without room to spread out" today. He also said that it means "events outside the course of daily life" such as parades, gatherings in auditorium, stadium, conferences. He said, it does not mean normal operations in offices, hospitals,restaurants, grocery stores, or other retail establishments.

My daycare/preschool follows federal closures, not the local public school system. So as of Friday, we were told they were going to be open the next week. But after the announcement above, they are closing for 2 weeks. If one finds the Governor's press announcement and listens to the entire thing, how he is phrasing it, it does not seem to me that he meant daycares or preschools.

https://www.nbc12.com/2020/03/15/northam-bans-gatherings-people-says-its-not-yet-time-quarantine/

My preschool/daycare has under 100 students, but over 100 if you count the teachers. They are never all at once in the playground, each classroom takes turns. There is no cafeteria. Lunch is eaten inside each classroom. Many preschools and daycares will be similar.

So parents of preschools or daycares that do NOT follow the local public school system and were planning to be open, is your daycare or preschool announcing closures now? I am not seeking opinions on what is prudent to do, but what daycares or preschools are actually doing for next week in the DMV area, especially VA.

[Anonymous]

Ours just closed due to the 6ft distance requirement. There was also a 10+ gathering ban, but most of the rooms had no more than 5 kids at this point.

[Anonymous]

Virginia daycares now subject to the 10-person limitation

https://www.nbc12.com/2020/03/18/virginia-daycare-operations-ordered-follow-crowd-control-order/

[Anonymous]

Children need to be 6ft apart? How is that even possible in the size of these rooms?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Children need to be 6ft apart? How is that even possible in the size of these rooms?!

+1
Plus no more than 10 per classroom? My kid's 4-5 year old classroom has 25 kids per room. To keep them apart, they'd have to let only a third or half the class come in. Maybe separate into two groups and alternate days? Th eff governor's request is unrealistic. Daycare directors will choose to just shut down the place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Children need to be 6ft apart? How is that even possible in the size of these rooms?!

+1
Plus no more than 10 per classroom? My kid's 4-5 year old classroom has 25 kids per room. To keep them apart, they'd have to let only a third or half the class come in. Maybe separate into two groups and alternate days? Th eff governor's request is unrealistic. Daycare directors will choose to just shut down the place.

The idea is that only essential personnel (e.g., healthcare providers, first responders) who don’t otherwise have childcare and would have to stop working should be sending their kids to daycare. If you’re teleworking, or if your essential personnel but have a spouse who can stay with your kids at home, you shouldn’t be sending them to daycare right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Children need to be 6ft apart? How is that even possible in the size of these rooms?!

+1
Plus no more than 10 per classroom? My kid's 4-5 year old classroom has 25 kids per room. To keep them apart, they'd have to let only a third or half the class come in. Maybe separate into two groups and alternate days? Th eff governor's request is unrealistic. Daycare directors will choose to just shut down the place.

The idea is that only essential personnel (e.g., healthcare providers, first responders) who don’t otherwise have childcare and would have to stop working should be sending their kids to daycare. If you’re teleworking, or if your essential personnel but have a spouse who can stay with your kids at home, you shouldn’t be sending them to daycare right now.

That's not what the result was. The result was that most daycare facilities have to close, because even when there are only 5 kids in a classroom, it is impossible to keep them 6 feet apart. The state should subsidize facilities while this order is in place and restrict who has access to use them. Right now the daycare I use is closed to everyone, which is making the lives of healthcare providers, first responders, and essential personnel really difficult in an already difficult environment.