"This crisis has opened up some interesting discussions on the ways to best support children's optimal development!!"
Editor’s Note: Our communication board for members, Member Connect, has been hopping with activity in the last 2 months, with members engaging in rich and helpful dialogue. One of the most active discussion threads is titled Teachers using masks in childcare: Can this affect brain growth and development. One member who works in a child care program, Gabrielle Holt, posted a thoughtful reply that included the following paragraph that sums up what many of us have been thinking!
We can absolutely acknowledge how much it sucks to have to wear a mask and how it will change what we do in child care and the way children learn to feel safe with us as educators, while also realizing the masks are important to keep us all safe and healthy. It will be interesting to see the effects (or non-effect) in a few years. Now would be a great time to research different aspects of child learning and development. This crisis has opened up some interesting discussions on the ways to best support children’s optimal development!
As more infant–toddler programs and services open again, please consider sharing your experiences and observations of the impacts of safety practices with other members. Member Connect can be the platform where we share our “action research!”
