Reopen News: NYC approves plan to reopen childcare centers next week

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

NYC approves plan to reopen childcare centers next week

CeFaan Kim has more from NYC daycare owners concerned about reopening next week.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City's Board of Health approved a plan to reopen childcare centers starting next Monday, but the plan doesn't have everyone's full support.

The plan allows 3,000 childcare centers across the five boroughs to resume on July 13.

"It's been really, really tough for parents, so bringing back childcare is crucial," Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a press conference Tuesday.

The mayor said the Board of Health had been looking at the facts and data on how to reopen childcare centers both properly and safely.

Strict state regulations will be implemented like:

- No more than 15 children in a room

- Face coverings required for children over 2 and adults

- Daily health screenings

- Frequent cleaning and disinfecting

- Limited sharing of toys and supplies

The mayor said there have been a lot of conversations between the board of health and childcare providers over the recent weeks.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the Department of Health is going to vote on whether to reopen childcare centers.

But some say the plan is poorly thought out.

Medina Khalil is one of about 80 private day care operators who formed the Brooklyn Coalition of Early Childhood Programs because they say City Hall won't take their calls.

She said they did not have a seat at the table and all the decisions were made around them.

"There's an element of trust that's just not there because of the haphazard way in which we were closed.," said Sonja Neill-Turner with Brooklyn Sandbox. "And now it feels like it's applying again to the haphazard way we are reopening."

"We were not given guidance as to what equipment we need so that we could've A saved for it, B hoarded it ahead of time because right now 3,000 programs in this city alone will order these things, they're gonna run out," said Fabiola Santos-Gaerlan with Honeydew Childcare.

Neill-Turner pointed out that restaurants were canceled for this phase, so she isn't sure why day cares should be allowed to reopen.

Meanwhile, cleaning, new outdoor gear and materials all cost money and their razor thin budgets are about to get thinner.

That's why they say a Monday reopening is out of the question, it will take at least two months to get it right.

Eyewitness News reached out to the mayor's office for a response but have no yet heard back.

DOHMH will inspect programs to verify compliance.

The city says 12 childcare programs have been up and running for essential workers' kids since April.

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