MONCTON -- Following recommendations from New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health, Jennifer Russell, the province announced child care providers will close on Tuesday, with the exception of those that provide services to essential service workers such as health care providers. While the decision is a noble effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it's one that puts many parents in a tough spot.
"We do have parents that moved here, they don't have families here, they're from out of province, they're out of the region, out of the country," says daycare director, Sharon Steeves. "So, without us, they don't have anybody."
Ashley McDavid is one of those parents. Running her own business, she was planning to put her son in childcare while schools were closed. She says her options aren't ideal.
"I might have to close for a couple of weeks, which for a small business is not really an option," says McDavid. "Or I will still continue to bring him to work."
McDavid adds even alternate options of having family members step in to watch children is concerning.
"Are we actually social distancing if we're bringing our parents who are older and grandparents who might be even older and have worse immune systems than we do?" questions McDavid.
Similar scenarios played out in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, with parents scrambling to find alternative childcare arrangements after two-week daycare closures were announced on Sunday in efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.
"It goes from slightly concerned to kind of just embracing the moment," says parent, Emily Yorke who plans to spend quality family time. "So I can spend a bit more time with them and do some fun things and really relax and not have to be too concerned about work and the normal day to day routine we usually live."
Meanwhile, unlike Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick hasn't given a timeline for how long the childcare closures will last.
