By Per Peterson
Kid’s World will, for the time being, remain open and currently has openings in each age group.
The learning and daycare center in Tracy, which did close on March 30 because of staffing issues — shortly after the coronavirus pandemic hit Minnesota forcing the closure of schools and small businesses, has decided to stay the course during the latest wave of COVID-19.
“I think we know a lot more now than we did back then when there was a lot of uncertainty,” said Greg Carlson, Kid’s World Board of Directors member. “I think everybody understands it a little bit more than they did back then. We are open. We have to be open — we are an essential place for people.”
Kid’s World has modified its School Age room in order to help to accommodate and assist those who might need help with distance learning while in its care, meaning it will be able to keep school-aged kids on task and ensure that they are participating in their Zoom calls, Carlson said. Tracy Area Public Schools went back to a distance learning model on Nov. 30.
“I’m excited about doing the distance learning and helping with that,” said Carlson. “It helps a lot of parents who struggle with it.”
As a parent of three young boys himself, Carlson knows the trials parents go through to make sure their children are getting the most out of distance learning.
“Having that stability for students and parents both is big,” he said. “It’s tough on parents. I stayed home for five or six weeks for my kids, and it was really tough on my kids and myself. I was less productive and probably wasn’t as good of a teacher as I could’ve been.”
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.