COVID In Colorado: Child Care Staff Included In Next Vaccine Phase

GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4)- Child care providers in Colorado are just days away from qualifying to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations. On Monday, Feb. 8, qualified childcare providers will be eligible to receive their vaccine.

However, as with the first phases of the vaccine distribution process, it could take weeks for those able to get their shots.
ABC Child Development Centers in Weld County are among the companies that have been waiting for months to get their staff vaccinated. Unlike traditional schools, child care centers have not been afforded the luxury of working remotely.

"We haven't had the ability to go remote with the services that we provide. Child care has to be done in person," said Scott Bright, owner of the company. "The nature of our business is in person. We have been open every day since the pandemic started."

Bright told CBS4's Dillon Thomas his staff has been patiently waiting for their names to be called in the vaccine rollout process. He has been communicating with both his health care provider and the Weld County Health Department to make sure he was at the forefront of those ready to get staff vaccinated.

"We are leaving this up to our staff individually to decide if they actually want to do this," Bright said.

While Bright, and some of his more than 170 staff members throughout Weld County, are eagerly awaiting Feb. 8 to arrive, the Weld County Health Department said not everyone will be able to get their vaccines right away.

Eric Aakko of the health department said those qualified will still have to wait for the vaccines to be available. And, with such high demand, Aakko said it could still be weeks before some child care providers are vaccinated.

Bright said he was looking forward to some of his staff being vaccinated just to assure students and employees are in even more safe environments than they are now.

"Parents should feel their child is in a safe environment, and I feel like our staff should feel like they are in a safe environment," Bright said. "We will be ready as soon as somebody tells us exactly where to go and what to do. We will be ready to do it."

While K-12 teachers and those working in child care facilities qualify for vaccination, thus far the state has not rolled out plans to vaccinate college educators.