They were already holding up the economy while operating on razor-thin margins. Now, they are taking care of the children of essential workers as costs and obstacles mount.
While many states have mandated child care provider closures as part of stay-at-home orders, they have generally exempted child care providers that stay open to serve essential workers. Seventeen states have mandated that child care providers close unless they’re willing to provide care to the children of essential workers. In some places, such as Delaware, Illinois, and Oregon, child care centers have to apply and receive special licenses or waivers to keep their doors open for essential workers. In Maryland, they have to report daily on the health of each child in their care, according to an upcoming briefing paper by Valerie Lacarte of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.
