COLUMBUS — During state's briefing on COVID-19, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he is not ready to make an announcement on the plans to reopen day cares across the state, postponing an announcement he previously said would happen Monday.
DeWine said he understands how essential childcare is to allowing parents to get back to work, but said nothing will be released until the state has the latest safety and science-based data to make a decision on when to reopen child care centers.
“We're still working on it. It's very important that we get this right. We don't want to announce a date until we have the protocols in place. We're focusing on the safety of the kids, their families, and the employees,” DeWine said.
DeWine said his administration is still studying the ways child care centers can reopen during the pandemic while still keeping children and the workers safe.
“The mistakes I've made in my career have come about when I haven't had all the facts or didn't dig deep enough -- so this process is continuing. Reopening childcare centers is simply too important to do so without all the best information and protocols in place," he said.
Last week, DeWine admitted reopening day cares will be challenging. He said the state is trying to balance implementing new safety guidelines to keep children safe while also making sure day care owners can afford those changes.
For a list of pandemic licensed childcare centers, click here.
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