In order to reopen, daycares and other facilities are being forced to significantly downsize classes, increase cleaning, and follow other strict protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
While it’s safe to say everyone wants to ensure the safety of our children, many daycares and other childcare facilities may become overwhelmed with the increase in ‘to-dos’ and the decrease in business.
State regulations have cut class sizes and therefore business revenue for these facilities significantly. New requirements permit only four infants to one teacher, six toddlers to one teacher, nine preschool kids to one teacher, and nine school-aged kids to one teacher. Rooms are required to be divided with a goal, according to reports, to increase the number of classes with smaller class sizes. Regulations also indicate there must be 35 square feet inside each space per child.
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Those operating under a pandemic license may see an increase in the number of children they can care for with the new requirements under Ohio’s daycare rollout, but that number will likely still be much less than the business facilities are used to.
Recently, Governor Mike DeWine announced a plan to utilize more than $60 million in federal CARES Act funding to create reopening grants designed to aid childcare providers, both public and private.
