But many parents are still asking the question, 'Should I take my child to daycare?'

Of course, there's no one clear answer for all families. The bottom line is that everyone should consider carefully whether taking their child to daycare is the right decision for them.

The first consideration is whether you think your child’s daycare center is ready to open.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued some guidance for child care opening. Before I sent my child back, I would ensure that they are at a minimum following their recommendations that daycare centers should only open when:

• They can be compliant with local and state orders, are ready to protect high risk children and employees, and can screen children and employees on arrival.
• The following health and safety actions are in place: promote hygiene practice such as handwashing with employees wearing masks, intensified cleaning, encouraged social distancing when feasible, adjust activities to limit sharing of toys/supplies and training all employees.
• Ongoing monitoring is in place. Children and employees should have a process for checking for signs and symptoms upon arrival, sick employees should be allowed to stay home and a plan should be in place should employees or children get sick.

Once daycare center readiness has been determined, each family will still need to make a determination for when their child should go back. Here are some factors to consider:

1. Child’s medical history - This may seem obvious but children with chronic conditions are who are immunosuppressed would be at higher risk with returning to day care.
2. Child’s age - Children 2 and older will likely be asked to wear a mask but the younger kids are, the harder it will be. It might be easier for children who aren’t mobile to be separated. Toddlers will be the trickiest as they are mobile and can’t wear masks.
3. Family medical history - At risk family or household members will be at risk for contracting disease from asymptomatic children who bring infection home.
4. Family work situation - As offices open up, many parents will not have a choice. Even parents who work from home may face increasing pressure to be more productive as the economy begins to open up. Parents need to be able to provide for their family and maintain insurance coverage in a time where work insecurity is a real issue.

While each parent will have a choice to make in regards to taking their kids back to daycare, hopefully these considerations will help you make the best decision for you and your children.

Jamye Coffman, M.D., a child abuse pediatrician and medical director for Cook Children’s Advocacy Resource and Evaluation (CARE) Team, advises parents to monitor their nanny or babysitter at all times.

“I would set up cameras in my home,” Dr. Coffman said “We’ve had nanny cam videos brought to us and we’ve seen what can happen when the nanny or babysitter gets frustrated. They many not leave physical injuries or bruises, but we’ve seen some awful and abusive behavior that would not have been discovered without the cameras.”

The nanny, who has pleaded not guilty, is charged with trying to smother a baby boy in her care. Police say they have video from a hidden nanny cam of Moriah Gonzales, 20 years old, pressing her hands against the 3 month old untl he went limp. She has been charged with felony child abuse likely to cause great bodily harm.

So how do you avoid this kind of thing happening to you? Dr. Coffman says parents should start with research.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services provides a list of licensed child care centers and licensed or registered child care homes.Learn more about reporting abuse by clicking here. The Texas Abuse Hotline number is 1-800-252-5400.

Once you’ve selected the child care for you, Dr. Coffman says go visit it yourself. Also, make sure two adults are in the room with the children at all times. Ask about the visitation policy. If parents are discouraged to check in, find another place for your child’s care.

And most importantly, Dr. Coffman says to trust your gut.

“Even if you do all the research sometimes an incident hasn’t been reported and may have occurred,” Dr. Coffman said. “If you think something is off about where your child is being cared for, you don’t want to risk sending him or her back until something does happen. If you have that gut instinct, look for another day care.”

If you take your child to an in-home day care provider or you have a nanny at your home, similar rules apply. Dr. Coffman says she always prefers two sets of adult eyes on the child, but if that’s not possible, make frequent drop in visits. Any day care operator should welcome the opportunity for you to check in on your own child.

Click the following link for more information: Did you know only 7 percent of licensed child programs in Tarrant County considered quality? Click to read more.