Parents desperate for guidance on confusing 6-week gap for child care

BOSTON — While Gov. Charlie Baker announced nonessential businesses will remain closed until May 18, there still remains a lot of confusion on what parents can do with their children if they’re able to go back to work.

Euan Davis, a father of three, said money is running low since he never received any of the small business relief funds from the federal government. Now, the need to go back to work has never been higher.

“I know there are thousands of people applying but at the same time we were hoping there would be a mechanism to get the small businesses some faster funds,” said Davis.

The Biz Barbershop owner says he can’t afford to go to work without child care but he also can’t afford not to.

“When you own a business and you have the staff members and the bills sitting there, there’s no way around all of the uncertainty going on right now," said Davis.

The uncertainty continued Tuesday as Baker announced nonessential business will remain closed until May 18. However, he couldn’t answer any questions on the 6-week gap between when businesses could potentially reopen and June 29 - the date non-emergency child care programs have been ordered to remain closed.

“That is a good question and it is one of your advisory going to take under consideration,” said Baker.

When pushed further about opening daycares earlier, Baker said: “It’s going to depend a lot on the conversation with the daycare community and the general consensus we get from the business community and how phased in the phase-opening actually is."

Davis is part of the business community but remains desperate for guidance.

“We would have to get some family members to help and that’s another issue,” Davis said when asked what would he do with his kids between May 18 and June 29. “It starts with that and then alternating shifts and that’s the hard part. When can who stay with who? But we will have to figure that out though."

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