Childcare moves to temporary licensing; Lorain daycare in the midst of applying

LORAIN — Changes to daycare centers are imminent. Gov. Mike DeWine announced Sunday afternoon that by Thursday, centers must operate under a limited pandemic child care license — which will allow child care centers to stay open to care for essential workers' children during the governor's "say home" order. Those essential employees include health care workers, food supply chain workers (including factory and grocery store employees), transportation and building and construction trades. As of Sunday evening, Lorain County had just over 20 approved for the new licensing. The new license stipulates only six children can be in any one room and asks providers to limit the shared rooms used. In Lorain, long-running Noah's Ark Daycare and Early Learning Center is in the process of applying for the pandemic license. Owners Amarily and Reuben Figueroa and business partner Hector Sanchez of TDR Academy, have seen a drop in the number of children coming to the daycare since the start of the outbreak — and expects that number to dwindle with the latest shelter-in-place order. Amarily and Reuben Figueroa both work for Lorain Schools, Amarily in bilingual supports and student and family outreach and Reuben is the safety coordinator for the district. Sanchez operates TDR Academy and was in Lorain from Florida he and Reuben Figueroa were supposed to do some remodeling to the center. Now, he is split between staying in Lorain as Noah's Ark transitions to the TDR Academy, or return to Florida where his son recently had major surgery. "We want to stay open no matter what," Sanchez said. "We will stay open if it's even two kids." Staff are taking the children that remain in daycare to wash their hands every half hour, and are cleaning toys and surfaces throughout the day. Parents are limited to just dropping their children off, and kids with any symptoms are sent home. Staff are checking their temperature, and kids' temperatures before allowing them in the facility. "The only way it would change us is if Tyson Foods told us they were closing down," Reuben Figueroa said. "Then, most likely, we would have maybe five kids in the center. But with them being open ... we now have essential workers' (children). We're planning to still stay open no matter what." Noah's Ark is looking to service first responders' children as well as those working in food and other essential industries. The majority of staff are bilingual, Reuben Figueroa noted. His mother, Mildred, started the center as part of her and her husband's church 24 years ago. At the time, they served many families from Peurto Rico, and vowed to keep the service a charity and not a for-profit business. Now retired, Mildred Figueroa said if the daycare had to close, it would hurt the community she served for almost 25 years. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com. ***READ Ohio's stay-at-home order Here is the current list of centers that have received a license to operate (it will be updated) Pandemic-Provider-Approved-List.pdf