Chester County parents, day care center in dispute over COVID concerns and lack of communication

CHESTER SPRINGS, Pa. - Some parents in Chester County are fired up after, they say, a worker at their day care center traveled to a state on Pennsylvania’s quarantine travel list and didn’t self-isolate upon returning home.

Steve and Erica Wynne have their hands full with two little ones and two full-time jobs. But, as of Wednesday, daycare isn’t an option.

“They wanted us to apologize for something we didn’t do," stated Steve Wynne.

Steve and Erica say they decided to pull their children from the Warwick Child Care Center, Incorporated, in Lionville this week after learning that a worker traveled to Florida last week and immediately returned to work. They say she didn’t self-quarantine for 14 days as recommended by Governor Tom Wolf and the Chester County Department of Health.

Erica says she first confronted them about it.

“Part of their response was, ‘We respect this is an issue and we respect parents choices.’ But, I said, ‘Okay, but you didn’t tell anybody,’” Erica explained.

Erica says she posted her concerns on Facebook to make sure parents knew. In a follow-up post, which got hundreds of shares, she says the center told them they would have to agree to their policy of not policing their employees travel and apologize to the employee in question if they wanted to continue bringing their kids there.

“We understand it’s not a regulation they were forced to adhere to, but had they told people, had they given us the option to not send our kids, than it would have been fine,” explained Erica.

In a statement sent to FOX 29, Warwick says they do not pry into the private lives of staff, but do trust and rely on open communication with them, just as they trust families bringing in children. Their statement read, in part:

“Warwick Child Care Centers contacted the Chester County Health Department as a result if the questions surrounding the employee’s travel and was advised that the staff did not have to quarantine after their travel and that the monitoring procedures we have had in place since re-opening are appropriate.”

“I don’t think it’s even something most people questioned, so I know when we go looking for a new day care, it’s something we’re going to bring up,” Erica remarked.

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