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Now that states are reopening after being in lockdown due to the coronavirus, many parents are returning to work. While parents have always tried to screen the folks who care for their children, many centers may not open after lockdown. This leaves many families in a quandary. How can they work and keep their children and loved ones safe? Is it OK to hire a babysitter if parents have to leave for an emergency, or just want a brief (socially distant) evening out? Whether your kids attend daycare, camps, or have a nanny, parents want to know: Is it safe to hire a babysitter?
Is it safe to use childcare?
Since the coronavirus is still a threat to public health, the safest course of action is to keep your children at home. However, if it isn’t possible due to the nature of your work, you may need to hire a caregiver. The more caregivers and children your kid has contact with, the greater possible exposure your child will have to the virus. Likewise, the younger your child is, the more need for personal contact and again, possible exposure.
Jennifer F. explained to Mom.com that her neighbors had babysat her son for a few years. “We waited for the stay at home order to expire,” the mom of one divulged. “We talked to their parents about how much contact their household was having with others and basically agreed that our families would see each other and pretty much no one else.”
Your risk tolerance depends on your situation, budget, needs, and how much risk you can and are willing to bear and if that level is acceptable to you. If your budget allows, you may choose the less risky options of an au pair, a nanny, or a babysitter.
Things to consider in regards to your situation:
- What is your budget?
- Do any members of your household, relatives, or anyone else around you have underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk?
- How confident are you in your childcare provider’s ability to follow proper protocols?
- How comfortable are you with child-to-staff ratios as well as child-to-child ratios?
- How intense is the care required for your child?
Generally, caregivers should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for childcare in order to reduce the risk of exposure as much as possible.
- Are the caregivers and children regularly screened for coughing, difficulty breathing, fever, and other coronavirus symptoms?
- Are their proper protocols for handwashing and sanitization of toys, tables, and other high-touch surfaces and areas?
- How is social distancing enforced?
“We’re actually considering hiring someone with teaching/homeschool experience to come for next school year and keep the kids home,” mother of two Liz Dean shared with Mom.com. “Hiring someone who will be committed to staying as safe as possible in their personal life and wearing a mask is a lot less risky than sending my 5-year-old to school for only 2.5 hours a day.”
What precautions to take if you use a babysitter
Anytime you bring someone from outside your household into your home, you are exposing your family to all the people that person has been exposed to (and vice versa). Thus, it is very important you trust the person and their lifestyle.
Sophia Chin — who has been a nanny for over 10 years — revealed that every morning her employer runs through the symptoms of COVID-19 and asks if Chin has any of them. Chin is always honest. “I broke social distancing and went to a friend’s house without a mask, and I was told not to come to work for two weeks,” she told Mom.com.
The vice president and chief medical officer of Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Texas Children’s Urgent Care, Dr. Stanley Spinner, M.D., stressed the importance of finding a caregiver who has been following strict social distancing rules. “I would look for someone who has pretty much quarantined themselves so that their risk of being exposed is incredibly low, before you bring them into your house,” he told The New York Times.
Make sure your caregiver is symptom free before they arrive at your home. Ask them to wash their hands immediately and consider having them wear a mask.
Questions to ask a potential babysitter
The primary function of a caregiver is to help keep your child safe and part of that is to limit exposure to the coronavirus. Here are some important questions to ask of a potential babysitter or caregiver:
- How will you keep my child safe from exposure?
- How are you limiting your own exposure?
- Have you been following safety and social distancing rules?
- What types of activities are you currently participating in?
- Are you hanging out with people or going out on dates?
- How many people do you live with?
- What do those people do for a living?
- How would your roommates answer the previous questions?
Don’t hesitate to ask questions and to implement safety protocols. In the end, we all want to do what we can to limit our exposure to COVID-19 and keep everyone as safe as possible.
