Corrado: Murphy’s Needless Restrictions are Crippling Daycare Businesses

Throughout the pandemic, childcare centers across the state have been going out of business at an alarming rate, and Senator Kristin Corrado today warned that even more will close their doors if the Governor and the Department of Children and Families don’t soon release up-to-date guidance for the industry.

“The operators of daycare centers, like so many other businesses, are paralyzed right now, waiting for clear, sensible guidance from the Administration,” said Corrado (R-40). “Companies that parents rely on to care for their precious children are being smothered by outdated, unnecessary protocols mandated by Murphy and the Trenton bureaucracy. If restrictions aren’t lifted soon, we will be facing a childcare crisis in this state.”

Rules limiting the number of children in a group or room, and requiring a labor-intensive screening process at the door are making it difficult for centers to provide adequate staffing and pay the bills.

“We want working parents to be able to get back to business,” said Corrado. “Everywhere you turn, there are businesses struggling to fill jobs, and part of the reason is because families can’t find daycare. The centers are encumbered by restrictions that don’t pertain to other businesses, and it is creating hardships for business owners, employees and families.

“As more parents return to the workforce, the demand for care will increase. It is crucial for the Governor to make responsible adjustments to the guidelines now. Facilities are forced to spend too much time and money accommodating irrelevant edicts.”

Corrado called for immediate changes to allow facilities to care for more children, in line with pre-COVID licensing, and to allow commingling of children and staff members.