PA child care providers dealing with ‘a lot of really, really sleepless nights and hard decisions’

Child care providers across Pennsylvania face a choice in response to the state’s efforts to halt the spread of the coronavirus: Close their doors, or seek permission to stay open.

Both options present risks.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday ordered all child care centers licensed by the state to close for at least 14 days. Initially, the order left providers “confused, frustrated and afraid,” said Diane Barber, executive director of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association.

Some clarity was provided by the state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning later on Monday and in the following days. The agency said it is accepting waiver requests from child care centers that serve health care workers, first responders and other people considered essential personnel. (Home-based care providers that serve only a handful of children can continue without a waiver.)

As of Wednesday morning, the office had received about 1,000 waiver requests — 200 of which it processed, Barber said she learned from state officials. A department spokesperson later confirmed those numbers but did not provide additional detail