Child care was already dysfunctional. COVID-19 could break it completely

Liu’s child care facility is among the many that closed in Washington state during the early months of the pandemic. According to the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, about 1,000 child care programs closed temporarily between March and late August for pandemic-related reasons. Those closures affected about one-quarter of the state’s child care slots.

Some facilities shut down temporarily for a deep cleaning. Some closed because of exposure to the virus. And others closed because of declining enrollment, as more parents kept their kids home because of financial reasons or health concerns, according to Child Care Aware of Washington, which tracks child care availability.