03/23/2020
I haven’t said anything because I am well aware that we are all struggling right now and honestly it is just hard for childcare providers to speak up. I keep seeing posts about childcare providers staying open and about them charging tuition while parents are working from home. I am NOT going to entertain a debate or allow hateful comments. I just would like to offer some food for thought. I have accepted that I can not control the outcome of this crisis we are facing, but one thing I feel strongly about is that we will be much better off if we consider how our actions affect others and we offer love and support however we can.
Childcare providers are not staying open to get rich. We are not staying open so that we can spread the virus or because we don’t understand the risks. We are staying open because someone has to put food on the shelves, someone has to care for the elderly and disabled, someone has to take care of the sick, etc. Someone has to take care of the children of those workers. We are staying open to survive and so others can survive. We are working much harder, cleaning more, preparing lower risk activities etc, so we can prevent our children and families from getting sick.
Most would agree that there is nothing on this planet more important than our children. When we make decisions we consider how our children will be affected first. I know there are crappy providers, please understand that right now I am referring those (which is most) who are truly in this business for the children. Have you ever met a wealthy childcare provider? Probably not. Why do people constantly act like we are robbing them? What if child care providers WERE well off? Wouldn’t that be a good thing and not a bad thing? I mean honestly think about it. “The kids are just numbers and dollar signs…” REALLY? If you truly feel like your childcare provider is only in it for the money, you need a new one.
The situation we are facing right now is NOT fair. It is not fair to ANYONE. There will be no such thing as fairness right now. “It’s not fair that I have to pay for childcare while I am working from home.” You’re right. It isn’t. Do you know what else isn’t fair? Your provider who has sacrificed so much to LOVE your child, nurture your child, provide you with supports, risk their own health and the health of their families to power through many different situations so you can provide for your family is the first expense many people are looking to cut. There was a child care shortage before this started. Apparently not enough people want to get rich doing child care. That shortage is about to become MUCH worse. As families stop paying providers, providers will go out of business and find other means to earn money for their families. They will remember how they were treated during this time of crisis and there will be little reason for them to open up their homes and hearts again.
If you think child care providers are enjoying being paid while their children are staying home, let me assure you that is FALSE. Their hearts are breaking. They are scared for the future. They do not want families to feel like we are abusing them by charging to hold their spots. They do not have any other options! This was not a situation we asked for. This is not a vacation. This sucks for EVERYONE. You guys, pay for your child care spot. Don’t make your providers feel worse than they already do. We are natural nurturers and if we could do this without money to support our families, a lot of us would.
