Our goal: gather actionable information for now and next time…
The spread of COVID 19 has raised awareness about the essential role child care providers play in our communities. Yet, we seem to lack adequate information about how a gap in this essential service will impact families, child care providers, children, the broader community, and our economy.
Objective 1: Connect unemployed or underemployed care providers to first responders in need of child care.
Both surveys have questions and sections dedicated to connecting unemployed or underemployed child care providers to first responders in their immediate area. We are firmly against the opening of group-care settings that put children, care providers, and families in close proximity to one another. Instead, we seek to rapidly identify the child care needs of our most essential workers, and pair them with a babysitter. These child care arrangements ensure hospitals remain staffed, grocery stores remain open, and keep children in safe, small groupings.
Objective 2: Gather information NOW to ensure future preparedness plans are better informed.
Countless families and care providers are scrambling right now. Child care centers are torn between wanting to abide by official recommendations to encourage social distancing, and feeling compelled to provide child care for families who must work to maintain their livelihood. There is no easy solution.
Using the information gathered in these surveys, we hope that next time we find ourself in a similar state of emergency, there will be a clearer and more equitable path forward.
Children’s participation in surveys
As of now, we have intentionally NOT created a survey to gather information about children’s experience of the spread of COVID19. This is not because we do not think their experiences matter - quite the opposite - but because, at times like these, each of us must use our best judgement and knowledge of individual children to decide how to best support them. For some children, families, and child care providers, this may be tactfully avoiding the subject. For others, it may be ongoing, developmentally appropriate conversations about real life events. And for others still, it might be giving children physical or artistic outlets to process this moment in their lives.
Should you be interested in sharing information about how children in your life are making sense of COVID19 we welcome you to email us at Melissa@pandoschool.com
A note on methodology
Though we are not researchers, academics, or public officials, our unique position as experts, advocates, and practitioners in the field of Early Childhood Education equips us to rapidly generate, disseminate, and analyze data from the surveys linked to above. Unencumbered by large bureaucracies or red tape, we are able to rapidly gather essential data about your current circumstances, and use that information to better advocate for children, families, communities, and providers.
We recognize that some of our most vulnerable families and providers may not have access to a computer or internet connection to easily complete these surveys. Your assistance getting these surveys into the hands of such individuals is much appreciated!
Thank you for your participation.
If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please email melissa@pandoschool.com