What will I do if my child needs to stay home sick from school or daycare for a day, or for a few days, when I am expected to be at work on-site? — This has always been a common concern for parents who work away from home, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. This, however, is a new worry: What will I do if my child is required to quarantine for an extended period because they’ve been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19? — More worrying: What will I do if my child tests positive for COVID-19? — Or worse: What will I do if my child, or my spouse or I fall very ill with COVID-19? (The pandemic has killed more than 600 children in the United States, and more than 8,700 children worldwide). 

DOE employees in NYC are now required to get vaccinated, and that is reassuring. Children twelve years old and up are eligible, but not required, to get vaccinated. Children under twelve years old are not yet eligible for the vaccines. My spouse and I had to part ways with a long-time childcare provider who refused to get vaccinated. Our new childcare provider is vaccinated, but she does have several comorbidities, and breakthrough infections do happen. We cannot ask our childcare provider to come into our home if any of our under-12, unvaccinated children are exposed to COVID-19. My spouse is a front-line healthcare worker (not currently caring for COVID-19 patients) and absolutely must work on-site. If our children are required to quarantine, I will need to stay home with them. That is why I need to teach online courses for Hostos Community College during the spring 2022 semester.