Parents are scrambling to find childcare or daycare for their kids. While some are lucky to still find spots for their little ones, most parents are hesitant to enroll their kids when they learn that the teachers and other staff aren’t fully vaccinated yet.

And with a new variant on the rise with news reports saying it has spurred an increase in hospitalizations for those under-5, it certainly does give parents enough reason to be more picky with their children’s childcare services.

While vaccination for children is currently on its way to being approved, those under five years aren’t still included in the next round of trials. This leaves the youngest of the population at a high risk of being infected.

Parents’ Dilemma: Vaccinated Childcare Workers Aren’t Around

As childcare workers spend almost a whole day with young children vulnerable to catching the virus, parents are naturally concerned about whether the caregiver is adequately protected against COVID-19.

When parents ask childcare providers about their vaccination status, some are hesitant to divulge their staff’s status.

This leaves parents in a difficult and worrying situation that they might be sending their children to a place where they’re more likely to catch the virus.

Parents’ Solution: Go the Nanny Route

As waitlists grow long for centers and daycares with vaccinated staff, parents have decided to try a new, sometimes more expensive way, of securing childcare for their children–through the nanny route.
While employing a nanny means a higher hourly rate than if they would’ve enrolled their child in a daycare or center, having the child stay at home with a nanny.

Some parents even share a nanny to offset the cost while maintaining a high quality of care, knowing the nanny will have her full attention on only these kids.

It also helps in lessening the risk of contracting the virus as the children only have a single nanny as a close contact.

Childcare Provider’s Challenge: Vaccine Hesitancy

Despite all the incentives both from the federal government and businesses, childcare providers are simply finding it difficult to convince their staff to get over their vaccine hesitancy.

While there have been incentives such as paid leaves for COVID-19 vaccination, free rides to and from vaccination sites and even discounts from major retailers such as Amazon, some childcare workers prefer to even resign just to avoid getting vaccinated.

While official statements from both the local and national governments are available, it does very little in convincing ECE staff to get vaccinated.

Instead, personal referrals from trusted peers such as their family doctor, anecdotes from close friends and relatives, and real life examples from their closest work colleagues and community members might just be the key to guiding them to take the jab.

There are still other ways to help them overcome vaccine hesitancy. But the sooner it is done, the better it will be for the business.

While childcare providers are going to be helped by various federal and state agencies through grants, reimbursements, and loans, they need to also help themselves by ensuring that the children in their care are out of harm’s way. This is through making an effort in convincing staff who still have vaccine hesitancy to finally take the jab.

Getting a vaccine, especially when new strains still emerge, does not only mean protecting oneself but more importantly, it means protecting those vulnerable like very young children who are not yet able to get a vaccine themselves.