Reopening California: Should you send your child back to daycare amid coronavirus pandemic?

ByAma Daetz KGO logo

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Coronavirus: Should you send your child back to daycare?

With childcare centers starting to open back up, a lot of parents are wondering if it's really safe to send their kids back to daycare, with the pandemic still ongoing. ABC7 News special correspondent Dr. Alok Patel has advice.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- With childcare centers starting to open back up, a lot of parents are wondering if it's really safe to send their kids back to daycare, with the pandemic still ongoing. Some parents don't have a choice because they have to work.

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ABC7 News special correspondent Dr. Alok Patel says it's an individual risk assessment and parents really need to ask a lot of questions. Find out if the daycare is actually following regulations. He also says it may not be a good idea to send your child back if the child, or someone in the household, has an acute or chronic illness. That's a conversation you need to have with your family doctor.

If you want to wait a few months to send your child back, Dr. Patel says it's possible daycares will have a better handle on how to manage the situation then. However, keep in mind things could be worse in the fall because of the flu and other viruses... and while your daycare may be open now, it may need to shut back down if there's a surge in COVID-19 cases.

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