Statehouse News Bureau

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Child Care Operators Say Ohio Needs To Reopen Centers Now

By Jo Ingles

Published May 12, 2020 at 10:12 PM EDT

Karen Lampe, Dayton area child care operator [Jo Ingles] — Karen Lampe, Dayton area child care operator

As retail stores throughout Ohio reopen after closing under state order for the coronavirus pandemic, some employees are scrambling to find a way to work without having reliable child care available.

Dayton area child care provider Karen Lampe says the state needs to allow facilities like hers to open so parents who have to work can do so. She says data from the 2200 child care centers that have been operating during the pandemic for children of first responders and health care workers shows no problems with spread of coronavirus.

“We already have amazing mitigation strategies within our industry," Lampe says.

Lampe says opening businesses without opening child care forces parents to make decisions between going to work and leaving children alone or in situations that could be dangerous. Gov. Mike DeWine says he needs more time to discuss it with the industry leaders who are helping to develop the state’s plan.