Child Care workers say vaccine mandate would increase shortage of care for Delmarva

SALISBURY, Md. – Localities in the US including D.C. have implemented vaccine mandates for childcare workers, with some opting to remove the option for weekly testing as an alternative to getting vaccinated.

Leslie Sinclair of Lower Shore Child Care Resource Center works to train child care providers in centers and at home. She says a mandate could cause a staffing shortage even a few members choosing to leave could spell disaster because of strict rules centers have to follow.

“If there were a mandate I believe there are certain people who are hesitant to go get the vaccine are going to become more hesitant and leave the field,” she said, adding “if people start leaving their employment that would mean that the ratios of the programs would be off and providers of programs would have to take fewer children.”

The ratios for childcare facilities between faculty members and children in their care means a single person leaving would necessitate a loss of some amount of students to remain within state compliance of standards of care. For home-based care services, those margins are even slimmer.

“We are 8 to 1,” said Crystal Ritter of Crystal’s Day Care in Delmar adding “we already have a shortage, I have 25 people alone on my waiting list trying to get in.”

For one-man operations like hers, if she were to choose to not get vaccinated she would be displacing 8 children, as well as their families who would have to find alternative arrangements or even potentially leave work to care for their children. She says talking with other at-home care service providers, she says many will choose that option.

“They will close, no ifs and or buts about it they will close down and its gonna make the shortage we already have worse fivefold,” she said.

Sinclair believes that while the choice will be from providers to not get vaccinated, children with no choice in their care will be the ones affected and potentially denied key services they need to further early development.

“About 7,000 children would be impacted by a change of childcare providers out there, and that’s in Wicomico County,” she said

Sinclair and Ritter believe a disruption of that scale will funnel parents towards unaccredited child care options, with no capacity limits, safety guidelines, or structure that official entities have to abide by.

“It’s going to come down to unlicensed [Care] no matter if it’s a relative or not it will be unlicensed, unregulated, child care,” Crystal said.