Having childcare issues during Covid-19? Ardent Preschool and Daycare might be the answer

While much of the world is #StayingHome there are still many families that have one (or two) parents who are essential workers. If your family is one of those families and you are struggling with what options you have then Ardent Preschool and Daycares might be your solution. Check out the Q&A we did with them earlier this week.

Q: Your website states that you are providing temporary, limited childcare services for essential workers. How temporary? I am still working now but I’m not sure if I will be next week. Is this week by week or is there more of a commitment? 

Temporary care will be provided until we have resumed normal operations (meaning the majority of our enrolled families are able to return to work). We are willing to work with families who have a need but are uncertain of how long they will require care. Communication is always important in childcare but it is extremely important now. We would encourage parents who are interested in participating to be honest up front with what their needs are so that our team can plan accordingly.

Q: What qualifies as an essential worker?

Qualifications for essential are primarily determined by the industry. These industries are ones that are considered essential to the infrastructure of the state or country. We think first of health and emergency workers and public officers as essential. However, there are quite a few additional industries that qualify. Finance, grocery, IT and communications are also considered essential, for example. We have used the guidelines of Jefferson County, the state of Alabama, as well as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Q: How many children will my child be around? 

That depends on the age of the children. We have very limited spots available for each age group in order to maintain the proper social distancing. For infants, for example, there will only be 4 in a room. For the older children who are able to better understand the current precautions we are limiting that to under 11, depending on location.

The classrooms are not mingling at all. So a child receiving care at Ardent will only be around the children in their classroom.

Q: How do I know my child won’t catch something there? 

At this point, there is not anyone or any place that can 100% guarantee that someone will not catch something. That is never a guarantee in normal childcare conditions! But what we can guarantee is that we are taking extreme precautions during this time. We implemented a few really neat preventative measures (UV germicidal lighting and disinfectant foggers) back in February before the threat was a serious one in Alabama. We also enhanced our protocol (which has been approved by Jefferson County and the State). These can be found at https://ardentpreschool.com/covid-19-updates/

Q: What are the hours and ages for childcare services? 

We are operating on shortened business hours 7 – 5 and we are providing care for infants – 5 years. Again, this is very limited care meaning spots are offered first to Ardent Families and then to the public on a first come, first serve basis.

Q: What does it cost? 

Tuition varies from location to location. We encourage interested parents to visit our website and complete an Essential Workers Form. https://ardentpreschool.com/covid19-limited-care-essential-workers/