Thread by @ehaspel

THREAD: We talk about how COVID-19 is going to permanently deplete huge swaths of the child care supply without major relief, but I think sometimes it's too theoretical. A friend alerted me tonight to an instance here in Richmond that shows the cold, hard, human reality:

This is a church-based center, around since the 1980s(!). They serve 175 kids, infants to 5th gr.

They temporarily closed in March: "this decision was made primarily due to reduced enrollment, financial deficits, & concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic."

smrbc.org/smrbc-child-de…

The statement continues: "After much prayer and in-depth discussion, we have decided not to re-open... as we looked at all aspects of trying to continue to run a daycare it became evident that we needed to make the hard and sad decision to close it permanently."

As we've been saying all along, this financial precariousness is not, however, a new problem: "Even prior to the challenge of COVID-19, the pastoral team had discussed the long-term benefit of continuing this ministry when compared to its costs and risks."

I think one of the most heartbreaking things is how my friend found out about this particular closure: by stumbling across a Facebook Marketplace ad for a free giveaway of cots and other child care supplies.

(Reminds me of Hemingway's "saddest story")

facebook.com/marketplace/it…

This is just one tiny tragedy among 100s, of course. It won't get a big writeup in the paper. But it's 175 kids & their fam's, poof, without care. 1 provider gone. This is why we need a $50B stabilization fund & then a whole new way of treating child care.

#ChildCareIsEssential