State Updates Child Care Reopening Guidelines After Criticism

BOSTON — When Massachusetts released the guidelines for child care reopenings, some parents and providers felt the restrictions were too extreme.

They said the staff-to-child ratio, social distancing requirements and cleaning guidance felt like something that wouldn’t be possible with small children. Following criticism, state officials eased the guidelines as a local congresswoman filed a bill Tuesday aiming to help a "range of providers" reopen.

The language on social distancing was updated to say that a distance of 6 feet is always recommended, but if it’s not possible then individuals should wear masks or face coverings. The guidelines still say that activities that encourage physical contact should not be permitted.

The updated guidelines removed the children and staff maximum group size so that each facility could set up a system that works for their needs. Staff-to-child ratios and maximum children group size guidelines are still in place.

Some screening criteria were removed from the daily checks expected before each child is admitted to the day care, including abdominal pain, unexplained rashes and thermometer checks. It also specifies that fatigue as a singular symptom should not restrict a child from being admitted into the day care.

"While these safety requirements are necessary, we are asking an industry that is struggling to stay afloat, to do even more with less," U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, of Melrose, said in a news conference.

Clark’s bill, the Child Care is Infrastructure Act, would put $10 billion over five years toward renovating facilities to fit the new guidelines, assess infrastructure needs at child care centers, create a loan forgiveness program for providers that are seeking higher education, and support campus-based day cares for students with children.

"This is about recognizing the vital role that childcare plays in our economy," said Clark. "The economic benefits of child care are well documented, but so are the economic losses associated with its inaccessibility, and our nation’s repeated refusal to invest in childcare with the significance it deserves."

Clark said that child care is often an accessory after other decisions have been made, but it needs to be thought of as a necessity. Sixty percent of providers were forced to close during the coronavirus pandemic, Clark said.

"We cannot afford not to act," Clark said. "Reopening without childcare isn't an option, parents and employers are relying on the childcare sector to return to work. And even before this pandemic began. The economy was losing money because of a crisis of childcare."

Clark said that without reforms to child care, parents —especially women — would be forced out of work. In the child care industry, 96 percent of providers are women and 40 percent of those are women of color.