Most daycares are open
DURING THIS time of a pandemic, it sure is a breath of fresh air to see our community come together and help if we are able to. Kevin and Tracy Emmons put out a table in front of their place of business, Provisions Coffeehouse and Eatery, in downtown Ponca City. They are offering bottled water and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for free to the public. After speaking with owner, Kevin Emmons, he said, “ It’s great for our community to come together and do positive things. Whatever it takes we are just happy to help.” (News Photo by Jessica Windom)
Most local daycares are still open for business in Ponca City and a few have decided to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At this time, First Christian Church’s Mother’s Day Out and/or WeeCare Program has decided to close until April 6.
“We follow the Ponca City Public School calendar so this is our spring break as well,” said Ruth Harbeson, daycare instructor at the Mother’s Day Out Program.
“We have elderly teachers and we just want everyone to be safe. In our particular program, many of our parents aren’t working and the grandparents pick up and load the children to and from, seeing that this virus affects the elderly and apparently kids now too with the most recent case in a child in OKC, it is best for us to be as safe as possible,” added Harbeson.
In-home daycare providers Tricia Ross of Miss Tricia’s Daycare and Jessica Lowman of Auntie J’s Playhouse are still open and taking things day-by-day.
“We are disinfecting more and than once a week I am doing a deep clean and disinfecting my daycare,” said Ross. “The State Health Department is saying to practice social distancing, which can be difficult to do with the kids, but we are just practicing washing our hands more.”
Lowman said her operating hours are the same except her evening care is closed.
“Luckily with it being spring break right now, I don’t have as many kids as normal. When they are all back next week it will get even more real. It is very difficult to keep them sixfeet apart in a home childcare setting. I’m checking temperatures every hour and washing our hands anytime someone sneezes, coughs, eats, drinks and potties,” she said. “I am worried about if I have to close with no pay that I would be forced to find another job. We are just doing our best at this time.”
The Child Development Center and Early Head Start and Head Start have all closed and are doing the same as the Ponca City Public Schools at this time. Building Blocks has decided to remain open at all three locations at this time.