As it becomes clear that, as parents, we will be
needing to give our kids’ education more time this autumn, and possibly
throughout the coming school year. The question may be, ‘how can I lessen the
burden?’
In a recent report Anya Kamenetz reviewed childcare
options to consider as you realize life is not changing
anytime soon and begin to decide on your options as you move forward. Kamenetz whittled
down the field of options to three.
The first resort for parents is working less to take
care of your children. A recent survey from the Bipartisan Policy Center found
that 55% of Hispanic and 44% of Black parents on unemployment insurance are not
planning to or did not accept an offer to return to work due to caregiving
needs.
Then there are those lucky enough to work from home but are finding they are getting increasingly stressed by the extra hours with everything that demands your attention.
The second option, in-home care, has been hit hard by
lock downs and other pandemic restrictions. Kamenetz suggests looking for
in-home childcare centers which usually offer small group settings. Check out
Hudson Valley Parent’s Education Guide.
She notes, however, that health and safety remain a
concern for in-home providers, as it is for anywhere people gather indoors
during the pandemic.
Finally, there’s the idea of the "learning pod," or "pandemic pod."
Generally, this means getting together a group of a few children to share the
cost of a tutor, typically hosted at participating family homes. But accompanying these,
she adds, are questions of affordability, equity, and hiring teachers away from
public systems.
How to navigate such choices?
As we already know, the choices for parents are not easy
- Will you widen your family’s social circle
- Broaden your child’s horizon with a planned program
- Or just hunker down and shut out the rest of the
world
Talk about a complicated
future.