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Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

  • 1.  Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 10-27-2020 10:48 PM
    An article last week in the New York Times, "Can I Safely Send My Kid to Day Care? We Asked the Experts", https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/parenting/day-care-safe-covid.html. included a report on a recent research study in the professional journal Pediatrics with the following description:

    "What risk might my child pose to providers?"

    "According to the largest study of its kind, published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from Yale and Columbia surveyed more than 57,000 child care providers across 50 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico between May and June. They found no relationship between working in day cares and contracting or being hospitalized for Covid-19, regardless of race, ethnicity or other factors.
    ""Child care providers who reported to work during the first three months of the pandemic were no more likely to contract Covid-19 than those who did not report to work," said Walter Gilliam, a psychologist and early childhood and education policy researcher at the Yale Child Study Center, who led the study. Most facilities in the study followed careful safety protocols.
    "But, he added, "If the transmission rate is high in your community, of course it's going to get into your child care program.""

    The Times article also gives some comfort to parents about having their children in a high quality, safe child care program.

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    John Surr
    Peace Educators Interest Forum
    Charlottesvle VA
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  • 2.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 10-29-2020 07:29 AM
    Hello John, 
    I read the article and I found the research article too. It seems that the research has been rushed to get it out to the public since the public has been questioning the safety of their children going to preschool. 
    I am interested in this because in times before the pandemic preschool is known for children getting sick especially in the fall. And I have read articles throughout the years that provide evidence of preschool teachers are in a high risk level of exposure to illnesses compared with other jobs. 
    Uncertain as to the accuracy of this information especially in a time when politics has been factored into the current situation.  There are some people who are down playing the pandemic and that brings up questions about the findings. 
    How infected is the community and does the preschool clean everything everyday?
    Guess we'll see what happens next. 
    Thank you

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    Melanie Smith
    The Preschool Doctor
    thepreschooldoctor.com
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  • 3.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 10-30-2020 08:22 AM
    Good morning.  

    For those who are reflecting on Melanie's statement  -

    "Uncertain as to the accuracy of this information especially in a time when politics has been factored into the current situation.  There are some people who are down playing the pandemic and that brings up questions about the findings." 

    The link below features a recent talk by one of the researchers referenced in the NY Times article, Walter Gilliam, PhD,  of Yale University.  In it, he explains the timing and rationale of the research methodology.  


    https://zoom.us/rec/play/iPVawfragDL873pn0XKM-z8Hh-eEWWWJCkQOK_06apYR_EfYkUWPGOtZkLzJRpF5haiI_-r9e9VIIZTJ.Cd6xY-c1JQjXOaJZ?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=LhkpjSfbQPSqusC-s4FF8w.1604060024418.73f1eba0af4ce5a1dd000ad7d0ee7f07&_x_zm_rhtaid=995

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    Kristen Kennen
    Early Childhood Education Specialist
    EdAdvance
    Danbury, CT
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  • 4.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 10-30-2020 06:42 AM
    As a NAEYC accredited program, we are taking the extra steps to be vigilant in keeping staff and children healthy.  However, that comes at a great financial cost to our program and a burden to our families (we cannot be open all the hours they need care as we were pre-Covid).  Long term, these preventative measures are unsustainable financially for any program.  So, as programs face the decision of permanently closing or staying in business, I think you will see the laundry list of precautions begin to dwindle.  So while the research is a nice tip of the hat to child care, it isn't going to fix the inherent issue that COVID poses - supports for programs to survive this pandemic.

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    Diana Verbeck
    Executive Director
    Danville Child Development Center
    Danville PA
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  • 5.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 10-31-2020 11:47 AM
    We all would have to agree with you about the current financial crush on child care programs, with reduced enrollment and increased expenses.  The stimulus package that the House has put forward would get $57 billion out to child care programs to help them survive and even improve quality and outreach, but that won't happen until we all get after our Senators to move their support much further toward what the House has proposed.  Please contact them Monday if you can.


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    John Surr
    Peace Educators Interest Forum
    Charlottesvle VA
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  • 6.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 11-01-2020 01:49 AM
    The money loss hurts! My biggest problem has been finding hand soap, lysol toilet paper, paper towels, bleach etc.  I tried to order from amazon saying I was essential but they say the hospitals, drs office and so on need so since I'm not a big organization I can't get the stuff to keep kids safe and to disinfect.  CC&R only have so much.  I'm in Marshalltown, IOWA and we have a huge count plus a number of outbreaks.  Can I get any support or do you know of any assistance?  My CCR&R can't even get hand soap 

    Michelle  Brown

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    Michelle Brown
    Michelle's In-home Child Care
    Michelle's In-home Child Care
    Marshalltown IA
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  • 7.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 11-02-2020 06:23 AM
    Body wash works just as well.

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    Jennifer
    Licensed Family Child Care
    Minnesota
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  • 8.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 11-03-2020 01:15 PM
    How far a drive is it to MN.  We are able to get everything we need right now.  It has been tough at certain times but right we are able t find everything available.

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    Brandy Sroga-Coons
    Creative Kids Academy
    Elk River MN
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  • 9.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 11-01-2020 11:36 AM
    And it's interesting that in the video referred to earlier, the Yale Professor who conducted the study noted that their research comparing those who continued to work with children and those who didn't, showed that the providers who continued to work with children were more apt to use safety measures, including mask-wearing, social distancing, and disinfecting commonly used spaces frequently, than were those who stopped working with children.  This difference applied both at work and elsewhere, and it helps to explain why there was no greater incidence of Covid-19 among those who worked with children.

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    John Surr
    Peace Educators Interest Forum
    Charlottesvle VA
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  • 10.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 11-01-2020 10:54 PM
    Hi John, 
    I thought the same thing. The study was early on. Most educators were being super careful while those who elected not to go to work were probably confined to home. As measures relax and we see spikes occurring along with fatigue and resistance. The chance might increase and if I am in a spiking locality, it is not ok for the risk of working  to be no greater than not going to work.

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    Herbert Hickey
    Educator
    Horizons for Homeless Children - Schoen Family Community Children's Center
    Hingham MA
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  • 11.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 11-02-2020 10:25 AM
    I am in Louisiana and we were given a letter from our state Licensing Agency and Department of Education that allowed early childhood centers to purchase more than the allotted amount of essential supplies or to qualify for items reserved for essential use.  Check with your state agencies to see if they can help you.  They may be able to do more than the referral agencies.

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    Holly Dalferes
    Director
    George Cottage at St Martin's Episcopal School
    Metairie LA
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  • 12.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 11-02-2020 08:45 AM
    I agree with you.  I just read a great article about foreign countries opening up their schools. The damage is going to be social and emotional in the end. I will reach out to to ask and encourage my representatives.





  • 13.  RE: Child Care Provider Have No Greater Risk of Covid-19 than General Population

    Posted 11-03-2020 08:12 PM
    Thank John!

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    Herbert Hickey
    Educator
    Horizons for Homeless Children - Schoen Family Community Children's Center
    Hingham MA
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