MATTHEWS, N.C. — As schools close statewide, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has allowed daycares the option to remain open. The reasoning is that many critical staff, from healthcare workers to grocery store clerks, still require childcare.
But while doctors say children are less affected by the coronavirus, they can still be carriers to grandparents and other high-risk individuals.
Childcare Network #325, formerly known as Matthews Country Day, sent a letter to parents Monday night stating there was a possible exposure in the toddler room. It is not a confirmed positive case, rather exposure.
A mom, who has a child that attends the daycare located at 10540 Monroe Road, told WCNC Charlotte the letter stated a toddler could have been exposed to the coronavirus. She was shocked the daycare remained open.
“I was kind of like really upset because the workers there should not have to do that and then there’s other kids who are still going,” said the mom, who did not want to be identified.
The letter to parents stated, “There was a possible COVID-19 exposure at your school, Childcare Network 325. In response the toddler classroom will be closed through Friday. Children enrolled in the toddler classroom not be able to attend. During our closure, the classroom will undergo a full deep clean. We encourage children to stay home in the meantime to limit the possible spread of this virus.”
The message went on to say that the daycare is, “working with local agencies and will be in communication with you about their guidance and recommendations for our next steps.”
WCNC Charlotte reached out to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services about the possible exposure, and their response was they will not "publicly disclose the number of people who may be self-monitoring or being evaluated for COVID-19. Appropriate infection prevention measures will be taken if and when a person is under investigation or being tested."
But the parent WCNC Charlotte talked to Tuesday says more should be done to prevent the spread.
“I know that there’s a lot of people that still have to work and a lot of people can’t work from home and so maybe the childcare network could reroute the staff members or some of the children that have to be there to a different facility or different location,” she said.
We also reached out to the Childcare Network’s corporate office, they said:
“Our number one goal is to do the best thing for our entire school family - both our children and our valued teachers. At Matthews Country Day, we decided to close a classroom for deep cleaning and disinfecting. During times like these, we know that families are counting on us to provide a safe and clean space for their children to learn and play. Flu-like symptoms were noted in a classroom, and we made that decision with an abundance of caution. We will reopen the classroom soon and look forward to serving all of our families.”
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