MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – The mandated closure of schools for the next three weeks has left parents scrambling for childcare, especially those whose children are in school-based day cares.
Area school districts that provide latchkey and preschool care are being forced to shut down those services because they are located in school buildings.
Local Boys & Girls Clubs also are shutting because they too are located in school buildings.
Even some private day cares are considering shutting down, making the situation even more challenging for working parents.
“It’s kind of left on families at this point – that’s been the hardest part for us,” said Mona Shores Public Schools Superintendent Bill O’Brien. “We certainly want to support families as much as we can.”
Mona Shores’ latchkey programs operate in school buildings, and its daycare for preschoolers is located in Ross Park Elementary School. That means they must shut down.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday, March 12, ordered all schools to shut down for three weeks starting Monday, March 16. In reality, most will be closed for four weeks because spring break falls the week of April 6, which is the day Whitmer said they could reopen.
However, school day care centers plan to reopen for their usual spring break service.
Orchard View Schools Superintendent Jim Nielsen said he’s hopeful his district can work out some sort of care arrangements for families who rely on school-based care in his district. But he wasn’t certain on Friday, March 13, if anything could be done for them.
Next week, the district will have “more conversations about day care,” he said.
Boys & Girls Clubs will institute “virtual” clubhouses to fill some gaps while they’re closed, even helping set up Internet access in homes that don’t have it, said Dakota Crow, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore.
“Obviously, that will never replace the club day, but it will be a supplement,” Crow said. "It’s a Band-aid but it’s a start."
The school closures put JumpStart Childcare and Preschool owner Kim Rake in a tough spot. Her business, which serves 32 mostly school-age children, is in the Mona Shores district. Rake said she usually follows the school district’s plans for closure – closing when the schools are closed.
With rumors of possible school closings circulating earlier, Rake said she already notified her clients that if that happened, she would close too. But on Friday, she was second-guessing her decision, saying it was difficult to balance the need to provide protection from the spreading virus and helping working families.
Rake said she was looking for guidance from health officials and state daycare organizations, but couldn’t reach anyone. It doesn’t seem as though anyone has thought of what day cares should do, she said.
“My first thought was to close (but)… I feel absolutely compelled to stay open,” she said. “It’s not fair to my parents who have a lot of things going on.”
The void leaves an opening for teenage babysitters to make a few bucks while school is closed.
MLive has complete coverage on coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.
PREVENTION TIPS
Michigan’s State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:
What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:
- Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.
- Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (computers, keyboards, desks, etc.).
- It’s not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.
For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
MLive reporter Anya van Wagtendonk contributed to this report.
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