Michigan daycares can stay open during coronavirus closures

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - Since last week when Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the closing of schools, restaurants, and entertainment venues, FOX 2 has been flooded with concerned parents and people asking about daycare centers. The state says each

According to the state of Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), each location can make its own determination about whether to be open or closed.

Michigan daycares to make own decision on coronavirus closures

According to the state of Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), each location can make its own determination about whether to be open or closed.

"Child care facilities - whether they are attached to (or in) schools or freestanding - are to operate in their normal course. This means they can close if they think that's best - but we are not forcing them to do so," a LARA spokesperson told FOX 2.

The problem, for Vivian Dekhou from Just Like Mommy's Home Daycare in Southfield, is that they can't close.

"Five of parents work in medical fields and they have to work. We have a nurse, we have a PA, we have a therapist and they have to go to work," Dekhou said. "We decided we can't close."

Not everyone is in that position but a child care facility in Chesterfield made the decision to close after a child there is believed to be presumptively positive with COVID-19.

State officials tell Fox 2 that was the right decision.

"We have had contact with the child care provider. They made the right decision to close the center and are currently working with local and state health officials to respond appropriately," LARA said, in a statement.

Dekhou said they're doing a lot of work to try to keep everything clean and safe.

"For example, we would clean all the toys at the end of the day. Now we clean them at naptime when kids are asleep and then in the evening when the kids leave," Dekhou said. "We go into the washroom and make sure they are washing hands at least 20 seconds."

They're also making sure the children aren't bring anything inside with them when they arrive for the day.

"We bought another thermometer because we check the children's temperatures when they come in," she said."

If someone is diagnosed with COVID-19, Dekhou said they'll shut down but are hopeful that won't happen.