This past week, Monroe County announced it will not reopen to visitors until June, possibly. In the meantime, it plans to gradually reopen non-essential businesses to locals which means more people will be getting back to work; IF they have childcare.
Childcare is considered an essential business but many in the Keys closed their doors at the beginning of the quarantine. Marathon’s Grace Jones Day Care closed more than a month ago — on March 17. Normally it serves 66 children, about 90 percent of those are preschool age.
“We’re hoping to open by the Middle of May,” said Iris Coe of Grace Jones Day Care. “But that will depend on CDC guidelines.”
Islamorada Day Care plans to reopen on May 4 for children of first responders and health care workers and essential businesses. Owner Linsey Alba has been closed since April 6 and normally serves 32 children.
“I am in the final stages of my PPP loan and my teachers are eager to get to work,” she said.
Both women have been in contact with Florida’s Early Learning Coalition which oversees funds for the federal school readiness program and the state’s VPK program. According to Miami-Dade and Monroe County ELC, 85% of daycares serving 45,000 children in South Florida are currently closed.
The Inez Martin Child Development Center in Key West is still open, serving a few children of essential workers.
Until the rules are relaxed, daycares must operate like any other essential business — spread out and masked if there are more than 10 people present.
“Our classrooms are too small to do that,” said Coe.
Grace Jones Day Care is continuing its backpack program, however, and that offers a good gauge of which families are still in town. Packages are meant to last two-weeks, placed on the day care’s front porch, and families notified to retrieve them.
“Based on the pickups, that tells me that most of our kids are still here, just waiting for us to reopen,” Coe said.
