LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Many childcare centers are back open for business, after being closed for three months due to COVID-19.
Six-year-old Rylee couldn’t wait to get back to Friends School in Saint Matthews this morning.
“Not having any siblings we’ve had to be her playmates and she’s gotten a little tired of that," said her mother Angie Bartley.
But sending her daughter back to childcare wasn’t easy, especially with her wife being asthmatic, vulnerable to respiratory infections.
“There’s a risk that we’ll see a spike in cases, there’s a risk that she could bring it home to us," she said.
Bartley said it was a risk worth taking.
“A chance we were willing to take to meet her need," she said.
Data provided by the Kentucky Department for Public Health shows children haven’t been impacted by COVID-19 nearly as much as other age groups. But they can still be carriers of the virus. At KLA Schools of Prospect, director Meredith Gunn said they’re doing all they can to make sure kids and their families are safe.
“We’re all very thrilled to be back to work today," said Meredith Gunn, director at KLA Schools of Prospect.
Among their changes, smaller class sizes and shorter hours due to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s policies restricting daily staff changes. All staff must wear face masks, ideally with clear plastic over their mouths.
“Because we want the child to still have that connection with their face and the enunciation with their mouth and their words and their lips," she said.
Instead of parents bringing their kids to the doors, teachers now escort them from the car to a temperature check outside to the classroom, which many parents say has led to more waiting.
“Nobody’s perfect and I told them that we will get through this," Gunn said.
Despite the challenges, Bartley tells us she’s never been more grateful for the help.
“I can take a phone call for work without Scooby-Doo in the background. For me, it felt really good to get back to a routine," Bartley said.
Owners of childcare centers said they’ll continue to adjust how they operate. And they’re waiting for more guidelines from the governor.
Contact reporter Paula Vasan at pvasan@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@PaulaVasan) and Facebook.
MORE FROM WHAS11:
- Smaller class sizes, limited toy sharing and masks | Child care reopens in Kentucky
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- Keep your distance: Helping children under social distancing, other new COVID-related norms
- Parents skeptical as child care providers scheduled to reopen in June
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