Childcare woes continue as many return to normal after pandemic amid staffing shortages, illnesses

Just when parents of youngsters thought the COVID pandemic was behind them, what is now being called a “tripledemic” made up of COVID-19, flu and respiratory viruses is threatening an already damaged child care system, according to reports.

Not only that, but children’s hospitals across the country are getting stressed, the Associated Press reported.

Parents of babies with less serious cases of COVID-19 are having to quarantine, testing the patience of employers.

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 104,000 people had to miss work in October because of child care problems — making it the most ever in a month, even when compared to early pandemic levels.

A child wears a bandaid after receiving a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum vaccination site, serving children six months to 5 years old, in Brooklyn, New York, on June 23, 2022.
(Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Many of the parents who missed work because their children were sick were not paid, the AP reported, which ultimately hurt families financially.

Over the past two weeks, many families got together for the holidays, which is concerning to doctors who fear the number of sick children is only going to increase.

The child care system is also experiencing stresses, not just because it is short-staffed, but because of illnesses among children and teachers.

A registered nurse prepares a dose of a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Lurie Children’s Hospital on Nov. 5, 2021, in Chicago. 
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The AP reported that when the pandemic began, women left their jobs at a higher rate than men.

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“Women have since returned to the workforce, particularly women of color,” the AP reported Diane Swonk of professional services firm KPMG as saying.

Swonk said the participation of prime-age women working in the U.S. is behind most industrialized nations, which can be blamed on the U.S.’s lack of universal preschool and paid family leave.

Daycare drop off, phase 4 reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, Queens, New York. 
(Lindsey Nicholson/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

So, all jobs suffer from workforce shortages, including day care facilities.

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in November, the U.S. had 8% fewer child care workers than before the pandemic.

Add to that, the AP explained, the strong labor market drove up the cost to hire new employees, making childcare spots difficult to find and pricey. 

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When facilities are short-staffed, they often close when staff or students are ill.

Guidelines around isolation also hit parents of toddlers hard because while older preschoolers can return to school with masks five days after a COVID-19 diagnosis, children under two cannot because they risk suffocation due to wearing a mask, the AP reported.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.