HARRISBURG — The Department of Human Services has released recommendations to help parents set up learning pods to share child care responsibilities with friends and neighbors as families struggle to adjust to school schedules that call for children to study at home all or part of the time.
The state Department of Education on Wednesday told CNHI that 70 percent of Pennsylvania schools are beginning the school year entirely online or using hybrid plans that might require the students to study part of the time online at home.
Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller said that the state is temporarily suspending regulations to give parents more flexibility to find suitable care arrangements for their children.
That includes offering guidance to help parents set up “learning pods” in which groups of parents may share the responsibility of monitoring their children while they are participating in online school activities.
“We want children to be in situations where they are safe and supervised by trusted adults; where they are able to focus on their education; and where their interactions with other people are limited so as to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission,” Miller said. “What we don’t want are parents quitting their jobs to stay home with their school-age children.”
Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said that parents should be teaching their children to practice responsible social-distancing and to wear a face covering to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.
“This school year may look different for Pennsylvanians,” Levine said. “It is essential that everyone take proper steps to protect against COVID-19 and a number of other serious, life-threatening diseases as students resume learning.”
The Department of Human Services is also collaborating with organizations across Pennsylvania, including the United Way and YMCA, to establish part-day child care programs for school-age children, Miller said.
