Pandemics are not novel, however, most people alive today have not been a part of one.

There are more than 23 million children under the age of 5 and more than 50% of them rely on day care. According to NAEYC, more than 40% of the childcare centers may be forced to permanently close because of the financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current pandemic brought significant changes to our way of living. This “new normal” has disrupted our traditional routines and lives. Virtual Preschool for Early Childhood Education (ECE) is one of the aspects that defines this “new normal.”

The concept of Virtual Preschool is not new to ECE. The concept was made popular during 2015 through several state funded programs, but it was not well received by several child development experts. As stated in an article for the Washington Post, “the fundamentals of early learning is a process of developing social and relational interactions. Imparting them without human contact falsely implies the development in children.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the perceptions about Virtual Preschool and has now been embraced as a concept to stay relevant in the current economy. Under the new normal, both teachers and parents must learn to adapt to virtual preschool to keep preschoolers engaged and invested in their development. The closure of childcare centers should not impede the development of a child.

Childcare businesses help support the rest of the economy. Parents would not be able to return or focus on their work when working from home, unless the childcare centers are open or continue to operate with alternate methodologies, like Virtual Preschool.

Now is the right time to recognize the essential nature of the childcare business and help them survive the current pandemic with the help of public funding and generous participation from large businesses.

Enabling the childcare businesses to reopen with the right protective plans along with safe alternate options like Virtual Preschool would benefit the rest of the economy. The nation must invest in the communities by providing affordable stable broadband connection and laptops or tablets for all households who currently cannot afford them.

Reviving the childcare businesses is reviving the economy.

Yes, it is our duty to make childcare businesses pandemic-proof.