Limits on staffing ratios at child care centers around Ohio lifted over the weekend. But it’s unclear how much the move will boost attendance.
At Daycare-R-Us in Columbus, the state's supervision limits cut attendance in half. But administrator Natasha Hubbard isn’t exactly jumping for joy to see the limits lifted.
“I still have quite a few children not returning, so it’s not going to make a huge difference for us,” Hubbard says.
Even with those restrictions gone, Daycare-R-Us will only get up to about 55% of their capacity, and Hubbard worries how long they can make that work.
“Very concerned,” she says. “I’d say six months, if things don’t change, some decisions will start needing to be made. We’ll start needing to look at other scenarios.”
Hubbard says parents who are working are still at home or leaving kids with family to limit exposure to COVID-19.
Ohio's rollback on staffing limitations doesn’t change safety protocols: workers still need to wear masks and conduct temperature checks at arrival.
