'I feel helpless:' Parents scrambling to plan for extended March break

Bailey Patterson spends most days supporting families and kids as a social service worker, but now she feels "helpless."

Patterson is one of thousands of parents and families in the Hamilton and Niagara region scrambling as news spreads that all of Ontario's publicly funded schools will close for two weeks following March Break due to concerns about COVID-19.

"When I heard this, I thought what am I going to do?" she tells CBC News.

"I feel very stuck as a parent, it's a huge impact ... I feel helpless."

Doug Ford's government said in a statement the move is "necessary to keep people safe" and based on the advice of Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health.

Schools will be closed from March 14 to April 5.

"We recognize the significant impact this decision will have on families, students, schools, as well as the broader community, but this precaution is necessary to keep people safe," the premier's office said in a statement.

While Patterson and her husband normally have the means to support for their three kids, she wonders about how to care for her 12-year-old and four-year-old, especially living in a home where both parents work full-time jobs.

"If we took unpaid leave, there are financial implications. How are the bills going to get paid?"

She also worries about how dire the impact of the closure will be for the families she works with.

"When you're talking about families who are single parent families or families who lead high-risk lifestyles, school is a safety net for those families," Patterson says.

Dani Pare-Hay helps provide a different kind of safety net as a registered practical nurse at Greater Niagara General Hospital. While her kids aren't affected by the extended break, her colleagues are — and she says it could affect how the hospital operates.

"A lot of the nurses I work with have small children and as soon as that bulletin went out that schools are going to be cancelled, everybody was like, 'oh my goodness, what are we going to do?' "

All the nurses, Pare-Hay says, started trying to exchange shifts and cover for one another to avoid ending up in a dilemma.

"Even when [schools] shut down for the strikes, they're like 'oh my goodness' because you normally don't have childcare because you're home or the kids are at school, but all of a sudden when you don't have school and schedule daycare everybody panics."

Patterson also wonders what will happen if she has to skip work to stay at home.

"If I'm forced to take vacation time, which we're fortunate to have, that impacts our family when the summer comes, financially and from a leisure perspective."

Speaking Thursday afternoon, Education Minister Stephen Lecce told reporters that following the two-week period, the province will evaluate to see what other measures might be required. 

"As we head into March Break, it is clear there will be an increased travel and exposure to the virus to families. I want every parent and family to know with confidence that when their child returns to school, they will be safe," Lecce said.

In the meantime, the province will be providing schools with extra sanitation resources and personal hygiene products, he said. 

Lecce also said a plan is being finalized to ensure learning continues during this period, but did not provide specifics, saying announcements will be made in the coming days.

Christina Meredith from Welland has 13 grandchildren — and she says all of them will be affected by the closure.

"One grandson has a hard time as it is going to school, with him off for two weeks, is that really going to screw him?"

"That's what I'm worried about ... getting them back into a routine again at school."

Alex Johnstone, the trustee board chair at Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, tells CBC News most parents have been concerned about their childrens' health.

"We have just as many questions as parents and are actively working to get more information ... but the safety of our students, staff and the wider public is our primary concern."

Thursday night, board director Manny Figueiredo issued a statement acknowledging the "significant impact" of the decision on students, families and communities. He said the board is seeking clarification from the Ministry about its plans for digital learning during the extended break. He urged parents to make sure Friday that their contact information is up to date at their school so they can be notified.

Pat Daly, chairperson of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, says the move was "surprising" and "unprecedented" but that it also makes sense given the current circumstances.

He adds the HWCDSB sent home a letter to to all parents on Wednesday about COVID-19 and is discussing its plans.

"We're putting in a number of contingency plans, cleaning around our buildings and following close around what other jurisdictions are doing," Daly tells CBC News.

There are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 linked to Hamilton, which brings Ontario's total to 60.