Is Hays County’s Daycare Closure Order Pushing Parents To Use Unlicensed Facilities?

Staff Reports

Hays County residents are frustrated with local officials after the Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra issued an order last week closing all daycares in the county.

The order was issued following Governor Greg Abbott’s statewide executive order, which implemented a number of restrictions across Texas to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The Governor’s Executive Order doesn’t require all daycares to close but does grant local governments the authority to implement additional orders on a community by community basis.

Residents expressed their frustrations with the order on social media. Daycares are state-licensed and regulated facilities.

“Judge Becerra, this is the wrong choice for your community and your constituents and I urge you to reconsider this decision,” Anne Nowlin said. “Healthcare providers and first responders depend on consistent, reliable childcare centers.”

“Ruben, by closing daycare facilities you are making it EXTREMELY difficult for people who work in healthcare, military and first responders to be doing their jobs,” Stephanie Bouwman said. “Not to mention many people who cannot work from home but are still following the strict guidelines of social distance and the 10-person rule.”

Frustrations rose further when news that the City of San Marcos would be establishing childcare services for first responders and essential city employees.

In a press release on March 16, the city said it would be coordinating with staff who may have childcare needs based on school and daycare closures.

Several local daycare professionals have confirmed that the city has established a “day camp,” which allegedly opened Monday for the children of city employees. The “day camp” is being run by San Marcos Parks and Recreation.

As per executive orders, grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals and other entities that provide essential services are allowed to remain open during the current pandemic.

However, the closure of daycares has caused a number of Hays County residents to be forced to remain home in order to care for children or rely on family and friends “underground” (unlicensed) facilities in order to continue to work and provide for their families.

Corridor News has reached out to Hays County officials for more information regarding the city’s Daycare/“Day Camp.” The article will be updated when a response is received.

“My biggest concern is that we were closed down because it’s not safe to have a group of children together because it’s hard to keep social distancing,” Tina Owens, Owner/Director of First Step School, said. “However, these children will be meshed together with other children (are they exempt from Coronavirus?) and teachers who they don’t know which will cause for more distress for their already disrupted schedule.”

Yesterday, the City of Austin and Travis County issued a stay-at-home, or shelter-in-place, order until April 13.

The order requires everyone to remain at home except for essential work and activities, such as grocery shopping.

Among the businesses considered essential and exempted from mandatory closure, according to the Austin order, are daycare facilities.

According to Austin’s order, Daycare facilities are allowed to remain open so long as they operate under the following mandatory conditions:

1. Childcare must be carried out in stable groups of 10 or fewer (“stable” means that the same 10 or fewer children are in the same group each day.)
2. Children shall not change from one group to another.
3. If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group shall be in a separate room. Groups shall not mix with each other.
4. Childcare providers shall remain solely with one group of children.

“We as child care centers in San Marcos are going above and beyond what is currently being asked by HHS,” Cherissa Young said. “No visitors at all are allowed on the property, parents are not allowed in the buildings, each child is screened outside before entering. Each and every staff member is screened before entering. We are these families’ safe place.”

Austin’s Stay-At-Home order can be read below as well as the memorandum on the identification of essential infrastructure workers from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency.