Dear friends,
Last week was a big week for us with the Texas Governor’s announcement that child care can open to children of non-essential workers. Parents immediately began calling with requests for their children to return to child care. We are so excited to welcome back the children and see their sweet faces!
Here are a few things that I think are important for you to know…
Who are these little ones who need to come back quickly?
These are children of low-wage single parents who must have their children in care so that they can work. These families don’t have an option of a stay-at-home caregiver. Their jobs can’t be done at home – many wait tables, work at reception desks or in retail. In other words, these are people we rely on to open our economy back up, and who earn the least. We will welcome back children of higher-income families as soon as they are comfortable, but many of them have told us that they are taking a wait-and-see approach to make sure that the spread of the virus in our community continues to drop.
What will we do to keep them safe?
Almost all the safety practices required during shelter-in-place orders will remain in effect - rigorous cleaning, taking temperatures, wearing masks, smaller groups of children, etc. The Center for Transforming Lives will continue to prioritize safety for children and teachers.
Will the centers on Lancaster and in the Polytechnic area open soon?
Yes. All the centers will reopen by June 1, but none will go back to the same numbers served due to the safety protocols of smaller groups of children.
Will you go back to your focus on high-quality education?
We’ve been so proud and grateful to care for the children of nurses, police officers, sanitation workers and many others during this time, and many of these will stay with us, as we move back to providing high-quality early childhood education for children in homeless and low-income families.
Enjoy your weekend!
Carol
Categories: Blog
