As schools across the state close amid the coronavirus, day cares remain open - and some employees are not happy about it.
Jacqueline Perrotta is a child care worker at Creative Kids Child Care Center in Yorktown. She says she is staying home for her own safety because she has an autoimmune disease.
She says the day care handles on average about 100 kids per day.
Perrotta said over FaceTime that most day care centers are open and that it’s forcing child care employees to choose between getting paid or staying safe.
She is now urging County Executive George Latimer’s office to close day cares along with the schools.
"We didn't choose the health field, and this is a health crisis - and we feel as day care workers we should not be in the position of choosing life or death, and that's what's happening right now,” she says.
In an interview with News 12 Monday, Latimer said with so many businesses and schools closed, day cares are needed now more than ever.
"We don't have the capacity for all those parents to stay home so there's going to be a spike... pressure to bring more kids in there...the management of this is a day-by-day set of headaches,” he says.
He adds the situation is been managed day by day.
A spokesperson for Creative Kids Childcare Centers tells News 12 child care is an essential service for working families and they plan to remain open while following requirements and recommendations of state and local authorities.
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