By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
COOKEVILLE – With school systems across the region closing, parents are keeping a watchful eye on business closings, hoping that their child’s daycare doesn’t make the list.
A child is the primary concern of a parent, with their job that supports their family closely following. For those parents who have jobs that aren’t suited to home-based work, daycare is crucial to both parent and child.
UCBJ contacted several daycare centers asking if any additional actions were being taken to protect our youngest citizens and found out that state guidelines are already stringent to keep them safe and healthy.
“We are going to follow the state guidelines,” said CRMC CEO Paul Korth concerning the CRMC daycare. “We have been in contact with the state agency that oversees daycares. We haven’t got an answer back from them yet on what to do. Whatever DHS (Department of Human Services) recommends is what we’ll comply with.”
Children tend to pick up colds and viruses easily, but COVID-19 is hitting children at an incredibly low rate. Of the 72,314 diagnosed with COVID-19 in China as of Feb. 11, only 0.9% were nine or younger, and 1.2% were teens.
“We do screen our children,” added Korth. “If they have a temperature, they are required to go home. We don’t allow them to be there. We are doing the normal monitoring of those children that we normally do. Nothing’s any different.”
Other daycares reported that they were following the Department of Human Services recommendations and would make any changes suggested. One daycare, Lighthouse Learning Academy, sent out an email to parents early this week discussing heightened procedures being implemented and reminding them of the regulations in place. Heightened procedures included restricting parents and visitors to lobby areas and limiting personal items such as blankets and stuffed toys.
