
We have learned a lot during the past few months. We’ve implemented new ideas, policies, and procedures left and right BECAUSE WE HAD TO in order to survive.
- We’ve learned new laws – which seem to be thrown at us almost daily.
- We’ve adjusted our health policies, building admission policies, employee sick time policies, etc to be in accordance with new guidelines and rules handed down from the CDC and other governmental authorities.
- We’ve appealed to governing boards or school districts for permission to stay open. And even though some programs have been allowed to operate, we are still doing it at a slight loss.
- We’ve applied for grants and loans offered by the SBA, found ways to reduce our costs, negotiated with landlords, creditors, utilities, and vendors to defer payments.
- We’ve navigated unemployment and laid off beloved team members for the first time ever OR opted to keep them fully employed during this thing with no idea how to cover the expense.
- We’ve trepidatiously dipped our toes into providing online learning and connecting time with our families.
- AND SO MUCH MORE.
We, as child care professionals, were already some of the MOST FLEXIBLE people on the planet. But we had no idea how far we could stretch, how good we were at thinking outside the box, how masterful we were at ADJUSTING.
If this situation has been a test of our strength and fortitude, I think we passed. What I am seeing you all do is AMAZING. Absolutely amazing.
And to be honest, there are several things that we started doing to get through this crisis that we need to KEEP DOING after it has passed. They are just plain old good ideas. They build connections, trust, goodwill, and we should find a way to make them part of “business as usual” when things finally get back to normal.