The state has quietly made thousands of at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests available to daycare providers across the state, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Early Education and Care.
Boston 25 News has learned that so far, 2,100 providers are on board.
Child care centers and families that use them have been disrupted for months due to COVID-19 exposures and state health regulations governing how to handle them.
Children who are exposed to someone who tests positive must quarantine in addition to obtaining a negative test before returning which often means being away for a week or more. Daycare staff members are also affected.
When there are enough exposures, sites can and have closed temporarily. Experts say children generally are not becoming severely ill from COVID, though those under five have less protection since there is no approved vaccine for the age group. Not only are providers out of work when this happens, but it takes parents away from their jobs as well.
The Department of Early Education and Care plans to send rapid at-home antigen tests to providers this week, a spokesperson said.
All child care providers are eligible to sign up for these tests which are to be distributed through Neighborhood Villages, an advocacy organization.
At this point, 2,100 of the roughly 5,000 child care programs have already signed up for tests.
“It is an incredibly difficult time to try to balance the health and safety of children and the needs of…the economic recovery of the commonwealth so we are working really hard to make sure child care has the resources, the testing, and the protective gear that they need,” said Samantha Aigner-Treworgy, Commissioner of EEC.
In the state’s latest COVID-19 report, there were 4,445 confirmed and probable cases for children 0-4 over the two-week period of December 12th – 25th. Those aged 20-29 represented the largest number of confirmed and positive cases over the same time period at 19,439.
There are 48 children 11 and under who are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s January 3rd report.
It is unclear how or when they would be used or when the supply for each provider would be replenished.
Aside from the rapid tests, EEC is developing a test-and-stay strategy similar to what is used at public schools. Implementation is weeks away, and the EEC still needs to secure far more tests in order to begin the program.
“Obviously the challenges of implementing a test-and-stay system as you have in the public school districts are different when you’re talking about thousands of independent providers,” explained Aigner-Treworgy.
She added that EEC is collaborating with the Department of Public Health on the program.
“To make sure that we can modify and develop protocols that would be more appropriate for child care to allow the integration of on-site test and return type strategies.”
In February of 2021, Boston 25 News was the first to report on the EEC’s drive-through testing site at South Shore Plaza in Braintree that was created specifically for families with children in daycare and their workers.
Presently, there are eight sites around the state that are operating this week, though the wait at these sites has been just as long as those for the general public amid the surge.
EEC plans to expand drive-through testing as well, the commissioner said.
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