Day homes offering extended care amid COVID-19

MEDICINE HAT- With schools and daycare facilities closed, local day home operators are stepping up , offering extended hours for families of first responders and other essential workers.

“We have some regular care spaces available and in addition to that we have some care providers that don’t normally offer extended hour care but have opened up their home for that specifically to help meet that need of our frontline workers,” said Kari Fisher, agency coordinator at Monkey Business Day Homes.

Unlike daycare centers day homes are exempt from the province-wide shut down. Care is provided in a home by a single provider.

According to Fisher, day homes are allowed to care for six children plus the provider’s own children. The rules were altered to exclude the care provider’s own children from the total count when the province announced the shut down of daycare centers March 15.

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Day homes that are part of an agency like Monkey Business Day Homes are regulated childcare facilities and are subject to regular health and safety checks.

They are recieving visits from agency staff to help monitor and ensure that they are following all the agency standards as well as just provide general support to them because this can be a really trying time for everybody. They have families that they need in care, that are scared or struggling as well, said Fisher.

Since the province -wide shut down was announced nearly a week ago , Fisher said her agency has noted a jump in the volume of calls but noted some parents have been resorting to unregulated babysitters, or have had daycare workers take kids into their home.

Fisher said spots at regulated day homes are still available, with care provided for flexible hours.

Parents in need of childcare are encouraged to contact Monkey Business Day Homes at
(403) 594-3699.