Preschool / daycare hours
Hi parents, I’m aware that during the pandemic many daycare’s and preschools shortened their operating hours so that teachers can stay with the same pod throughout the day. Now that things are slowly reopening up and more and more are getting vaccinated, I’m curious if your schools have plans to return to pre-covid hours? Ours (in Oakland) don’t have plans to and I’m wondering if that’s just the new normal or if it’s unique to our school.
Apr 6, 2021
Parent Replies
Ours isn’t going back to pre-covid hours. It’s super frustrating as a medical worker as my hours haven’t changed. Would love to follow this thread.
Hi - This! We are in a similar boat. Our daycare hasn't indicated any plans to return to prior hours yet (in Berkeley). With the "full reopening of the CA economy" scheduled for June 15, I am hoping that the childcare regulating agencies will provide updated guidance on relieving the pod requirements and will allow "mixing". I have to assume this is coming if they are forecasting full returns to school as part of the "reopening of the CA economy". The limited hours are really taxing...
Here's what our preschool wrote to us about the hours for next year: "If covid-19 restrictions are still in place, the 2021/2022 hours will be similar [8 hours, with staggered drop-offs]. Once restrictions are lifted, the hours will increase most likely to 9.5 hr/day."
I have been asking my daycare (berkeley) every other month about this, trying not to be a nag because we work in healthcare and if anything our hours are longer than normal right now. They said they are going to update us in the late spring, but the hope is to increase the house a little once the teachers are vaccinated fully and there's more guidance. I can't wait, it's been a long year of juggling daycare, but I'm also grateful ours didn't close!