STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – For many parents, it’s a question they’ve been wrestling with for several months now: Is it safe during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to invite a babysitter into your home to care for your children?
As businesses and restaurants on Staten Island begin to open up as the state’s COVID-19 restrictions loosen, many adults are tempted to venture out, in desperate need of some adult time away from the kids.
If that’s the case, a bit of caution is strongly suggested by doctors.
“With all interactions, there is risk,” said Dr. Philip Otterbeck, chief medical officer at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) in West Brighton. “We should all minimize whatever risks we can. The reality is that some families need to have a babysitter come into their home. There’s a way to do it safely.‘'
The sitter should be expected to wear a mask in your home, Otterbeck said. And he strongly suggested that anyone you consider as a sitter be tested for the coronavirus before entering your home.
“I think it’s very important to have a conversation with the babysitter,‘' Otterbeck said. “Make sure the babysitter is not feeling sick and the sitter’s family is not feeling sick.”
It’s also important to question the sitter about his or her recent behaviors -- how many people are in his or her social bubble, for example. Has he or she worked outside the home recently? Has he or she been in crowds or on vacation to busy destinations with rising numbers of coronavirus cases?
Parents should also find out if the sitter lives with anyone who puts him or her at greater risk -- a first responder or hospital personnel, for example, experts advise.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s very important to ascertain that caregivers are comfortable enforcing hygiene protocol with the children -- being sure they’re washing their hands and using hand sanitizer several times each day, upon entering the home and before eating, for example.
While children tend to be less affected by the coronavirus, there have been cases of children becoming very sick from the illness and its subsequent impact on the body, Otterbeck said, so that has to be considered.
“Children, if they wind up carrying the virus, can transmit that condition to moms, dads, grandparents, great-grandparents,‘' he said. “Exposure is still a concern.‘'
Obviously, it’s safer to avoid inviting a sitter into your home, the doctor said, advising parents to consider alternatives, if possible.
“We’ve been cooped up for a long time, and I certainly recognize the desire to get out of the home,' he said. “One approach might be to take the children out with you.‘'
Another might be to ask a member of your extended family to stay with your children, one you are certain has been following social distancing guidelines and sheltering as suggested by state protocol, if that’s a possibility. It’s better, still, to be sure that person has been tested for the virus, he said.
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And should you let your child babysit for others?
Parents of the sitter should be sure that he or she is following the proper guidelines and wearing a mask when social distancing isn’t possible inside the other family’s home, Otterbeck said.
The sitter should also be tested before and, again, after spending time in someone else’s home, he said, pointing out that free tests are available throughout New York City.
The free tests are confidential and safe. Go to NYC.Gov/COVIDTest or text “COVID TEST” to 855-48 to receive a list of testing site near your zip code. There are dozens of testing locations on Staten Island.
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