May 14, 2020

While the U.S. has been stymied in managing COVID-19’s spread, the previous month has brought “shelter-in-place” orders and policies mimicking those in foreign countries. The intended focus is to limit increased transmission and contribution to the staggering 4.1 million global cases as of May 11, 2020. The majority of state recommendations include maintaining a six-foot buffer from others, self-isolation within homes, practicing stringent personal hygiene, and wearing a mask when outdoors. Unfortunately, these recommendations disproportionately ignore a particularly vulnerable population: those experiencing homelessness.

As Connecticut businesses begin to reopen, more support is needed to address the looming child care crisis. Without schools and child care, parents cannot leave their children alone to go back to work. Parents all across the state are asking, “How can I go back to work when there’s no place for my kids to go?” Businesses should be asking, “Will my employees be able to find care so they can return to work?”

While this pandemic has certainly highlighted the abilities and benefits of public charter schools, it has also brought to light something we have all known for a long time: that black and brown children throughout Connecticut have been, and continue to be, systematically disenfranchised.

On May 9, 2020, a council of Connecticut business leaders, in concert with the Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration, released rules and guidance for the “safe” reopening of workplaces across the state. The processes, principles, and protocols issued by this task force reflect a failure to address some of the most basic needs that the state’s business community (including both employers and employees) desperately requires.