'Doing the best we can': Some daycare parents feeling uneasy about COVID

Advocates for early child care education are asking for kindness and understanding as skyrocketing cases cause staff shortages.

The month of December was serious effects on child care facilities according to the executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association, Jodie Kehl.

"If we actually knew the raw data of how many are affected, I think that the numbers would be astronomical to be perfectly honest," Kehl says. "It is really important that our early childhood educators are being supported during this time," Kehl says.

The province of Manitoba asks licenced child care facilities to report COVID-19 cases to them but does not publish those numbers. We have reached out to the province Tuesday morning, asking for the number of December COVID-19 cases at child care facilities and did not immediately get a response.

Kehl says the increasing cases in staff means some facilities will be short-staffed.

"They are experiencing really high absenteeism as well," she says. "I think that even for critical service workers, it is best that they have a backup plan."

Rachell Dolynchuk is one of many Winnipeg parents who have expressed their concerns about child care this week. She sends her four-year-old to a child care centre that has roughly 70 children. Her child has not been in close contact with anyone with COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, but she is keeping them home this week.

"I know all staff and families are doing the best we can," Dolynchuk says in a message to Golden West, expressing concern for the safety of staff. "I know it’s the best place for my four-year-old in terms of play and development, and even though I’m hesitant this week, we feel confident in the measures they’re taking for safety."

Earlier in the year, Leah Ramsay's three-year-old son was in a child care centre that had roughly 60 children and she often had to keep him home because of exposures and illnesses. Later in the year, she switched to a smaller preschool and is feeling more confident, but she is not completely reassured.

"We ended up moving and thankfully he hasn’t been sick and they haven’t had cases so far. I’m sure with this surge, that will change though," Ramsay says.

Kehl wants to see easy access to rapid tests for families, support and advice on ventilation, and N95 or medical masks for all staff. Child care facilities get medical masks for their workers, which are required to be worn. Many child care centres have COVID-19 rapid tests at their facilities for workers.

"Thanks to childcare, Manitoba works," Kehl says. "We would ask that families are demonstrating that kindness, understanding and respect to our early child care education workers."