Sacramento-area coronavirus closures mean kids will be at home. What that means for parents
As droves of Sacramento-area school districts order weekslong closures in response to the coronavirus outbreak, parents are left with the unexpected task of taking care of their kids when they would have been at school.
On Friday, Sacramento County officials announced that all school districts would be closing for up to three weeks, and Placer County officials followed suit shortly afterward. Davis Joint Unified School District announced a closure as Yolo County education officials weigh their options.
That means thousands of parents in the Sacramento region will now have to figure out how to arrange child care on short notice and possibly even find meal replacements for their children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that school closures, even when necessary to prevent further spread of the virus, could cause economic impacts on communities across the country.
“Provision of academic support (e.g., tele-ed), alternatives for school-based meals as well as other services (e.g., behavioral and mental health services) for economically and physically vulnerable children, support for families for whom telework and paid sick leave is not available, ensuring that high risk individuals continue to be protected must all be addressed,” the agency said. “Special consideration must be given for health care workers so that school closures do not impact their ability to work.”
Many Sacramento-area parents agree.
Alfonzo Young of Sacramento said it would be difficult to secure daycare for the children out of school.
“It is difficult, but it’s frustrating that they didn’t do this sooner,” said Crocker Riverside Elementary parent Nina Young.
In response to the Twin Rivers Unified School District’s announcement, Elizabeth Sanchez said she feared parents will be subject to financial stress during the closure.
“Who’s going to pay child care cost while parents work or (who’s) going to pay parents income when they can’t work,” Sanchez said. “Some parents don’t get sick leave or vacation time.”
The Sacramento City Unified School District was one of many local districts to continue offering meal plans while classes are out of session.
“To ensure the nutritional well-being of our students while at home or under other care, our district will be distributing breakfast and lunch meals every day of the school closure,” the district said in an official update. Other school districts, including San Juan Unified, Elk Grove Unified and Twin Rivers Unified, have similar plans.
The district will be allowing families to pick up meals on school campuses between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., but the question of child care is still up in the air.
Serving meals to thousands of children who rely on free and reduced lunch, and leaving working parents without childcare throughout the day weighed heavily on their decision to close schools, Twin Rivers Superintendent Steve Martinez said.
“We felt at this time, the safety of the community and safety of our kids and doing our part not to spread the covid-19 was really important for us,” Martinez said.
“It’s fear and anxiety among people, and the propensity to panic is really risky to us all,” said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David Gordon. “We have to stay calm and stick together.”
The California Employment Development Department said Friday that paid family leave benefits may be available to parents who have to stay home due to care for children during school closures.
“Our EDD representatives will determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis by scheduling a phone interview with you,” the department said in a news release.
The Sacramento City Council passed a coronavirus aid package Friday that included provisions to establish food centers for families who require further assistance during the school closures.
“We know the vast majority of our kids at Sac City (Unified School District), for example, are on free or reduced lunch,” Mayor Darrell Steinberg said.
Sacramento city officials say they will meet with school district leaders to talk about assisting in communications across school districts, with a focus on quickly organizing supportive services for families and students during the shutdowns.
Sacramento Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, who represents much of Natomas, said the city will be keeping parks and community centers open. She said she is talking with Natomas and Sacramento City district officials about making some school sites available as gathering spots for students. Some of those schools may also provide food services to children during the shutdown.
“We all acknowledge that shutting the schools down solves one problem, but creates another issue,” Ashby said. Children need a safe place to be, she said, and parents who must go to work need family support.
“Our effort is to allow for smaller (sized) gathering, and that helps us flatten that (contagion) curve.”
Sacramento County Office of Education spokesman Tim Herrera said parents should check with their local leaders to find available resources in their community.
“A lot of this is on a district-by-district basis,” Herrera said.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 4:19 PM.
