Corona in Frankfurt: Parents of daycare children despair – “There is just chaos”
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fromJulia Lorenz
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Sick children, sick educators and limited daycare opening hours: Many parents in Frankfurt are currently desperate again from the consequences of the corona pandemic.
Frankfurt – Parents of small children can still remember it well, after all, it wasn’t long ago that the opening times of the crèches and kindergartens were reduced to seven hours in the corona pandemic – hardly manageable for working fathers and mothers. That threatens again now.
Hesse’s Minister of Social Affairs, Kai Klose (Greens), announced in a letter to parents of children in Hessian day-care centers or daycare workers that “in view of the aggravated panic situation”, the facilities will be asked again to “provide care in constant groups”.
In other words: Open and partially open concepts in crèches and kindergartens are no longer possible. “We have made the experience that this measure is suitable for containing the spread of the virus,” writes the minister. In addition, the health authorities could use this method to narrow down the number of people who must quarantine themselves as contact persons in the event of an infection.
Corona in Frankfurt: Parents of daycare children are reaching their limits again
Unlike in the past, however, according to the Minister of Social Affairs, the educators can change groups if the organization is necessary. This is possible due to the 3G regulation in place since November 24th. “If the measure is implemented now, the facilities can actually be completely closed right away,” fears Ronja Walter from Frankfurt from the Family Initiative.
Even now, many fathers and mothers of daycare children in Frankfurt would feel like they were during the lockdown because the little ones are actually at home all the time: Either the children are sick. Or too many teachers are sick, which is why parents are asked to pick up the little ones earlier or to look after them themselves. Or the facilities are closed due to a corona case.
Mother from Frankfurt desperate: In day care centers there is “only chaos” due to Corona
“At the moment there is just chaos,” says Ronja Walter. She herself has a son who goes to a crèche and a daughter of kindergarten age. “We don’t actually know every morning whether our children are being looked after.”
Coughs, runny nose, fever, gastrointestinal tract, hand, mouth and foot – all of these diseases are currently spreading at lightning speed in day-care centers. The doctors agree on why this is: the numerous lockdowns in the past year and a half and the resulting contact restrictions. “The training of the immune system has suffered as a result,” says the Frankfurt pediatrician Burkhard Voigt. That is now striking through with full force.
Corona in daycare centers in Frankfurt: “Every cough is viewed critically”
The problem for the parents: “In many facilities, the fear of corona is again,” says Thomas Krohn, Chairman of the General Parents’ Advisory Council (GEB) of the municipal day-care centers. “Every cough, every cold is viewed more critically again.” It could well happen again – as in the previous year – that children are sent home with a runny nose or a slight cough. “That is an additional burden for the families,” says Krohn.
However, the state’s hygiene concept only provides for a ban on entering the daycare IF children or adults have a high fever, dry cough, loss of taste or smell. A “light or occasional cough” as well as a “simple runny nose without further signs of illness” do not lead to an independent exclusion, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs website. Minister Klose makes it clear in his parents’ letter: “Sick children do not belong in daycare.” Nothing has changed with the pandemic. “It is in the interests of everyone involved if the infection rates from cold, flu and gastrointestinal viruses are kept as low as possible,” emphasizes Klose.
Daycare centers in Frankfurt: High corona vaccination rate among educators
The Frankfurt Education Department welcomes the state government’s measure that the daycare children should be looked after in fixed groups again. “That makes sense in order to do justice to health protection and at the same time to keep the care facilities open,” said Jan Pasternack, spokesman for education department head Sylvia Weber (SPD), on request. Due to the high vaccination rate among the educators and the 3G rule in the workplace, this is also justifiable.
However, the department does not currently see a general reduction in opening times as necessary, “because you can relieve yourself after work and represent yourself in the event of illness. Regardless of this, however, we currently have a high level of sick leave in the day-care centers, mainly due to common seasonal colds and viral diseases, ”says Pasternack. “Individual daycare centers can therefore restrict the care times for their offer or switch to emergency care. They are also authorized to do this. “
Minister appeals to parents of daycare children: persevere!
Minister of Social Affairs Klose appeals to parents to persevere. The decision to join the closed groups in the daycare centers was easy for the state government. Klose: “But it serves to protect the youngest in our society.” (Julia Lorenz)
Care in 38 groups temporarily suspended
According to the health department, there were 74 corona cases in Frankfurt’s crèches and kindergartens in the week from November 22nd to 28th. Of these, 22 employees – 20 educators and two housekeepers – tested positive for Covid-19. In addition, 52 of the 54,000 children under the age of six who die in Frankfurt’s crèches and kindergartens were infected. Care was suspended in 38 groups for ten days. Infected children were able to be free-tested one day five after the last contact with the infected person using a negative rapid antigen test. (jlo)