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When the pandemic clamped down on the world, early educators turned on a dime to protect their children, keep their doors open, and support the families in their network.
Daily precautions like social distancing, mask-wearing, and outdoor drop-offs have become muscle memory for millions of early educators. Through the many pressures of the pandemic, they shouldered these new responsibilities despite the issues of overwork and undercompensation that have stressed the sector long before COVID-19.
But which of these protective measures have been the most common — and which have worked the best?
These are the core questions behind new research published this month from Yale University. The study, which surveyed child care providers from all 50 US states over a one-year period, yielded one particularly striking finding: Child masking appears to reduce child care programs’ risk of closure due to COVID-19.
But how does research like this meet the ground at your own child care program? I called up two of the study’s authors, Drs. Tom Murray and Walter Gilliam, to get a better understanding of their work, and what it means for the future of early education in this pandemic.
You can catch the highlights from our interview just below. But first, here are the five biggest takeaways.
Yale University, Child Masking in Child Care: 5 interview takeaways
Check out the video above to get the highlights, big ideas and key takeaways from my interview with Drs. Thomas Murray and Walter Gilliam.
As you watch, here are a few extra insights to consider:
For more insights, and the full story on what this study means for early educators in this pandemic, just hit ‘play’ on the video above.
Please note: here at Famly we love sharing creative activities for you to try with the children at your setting, but you know them best. Take the time to consider adaptions you might need to make so these activities are accessible and developmentally appropriate for the children you work with. Just as you ordinarily would, conduct risk assessments for your children and your setting before undertaking new activities, and ensure you and your staff are following your own health and safety guidelines.
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