Grandparents take up child care despite coronavirus risks

ASHEVILLE, N.C.For Chandi Gilbertson of Canton, school closures create a dilemma.

Gilbertson, a mother of five, knows her husband’s grandmother, Mary Phillips, remains vulnerable to COVID-19. Phillips is 82, well above the CDC’s 65-year-old mark for those most at risk of severe coronavirus symptoms. However, Gilbertson and her husband must work, leaving Phillips a necessary child care provider.

“We're definitely worried about her contracting, especially from watching the kids while we're at work,” said Gilbertson, an occupational therapist for Swain County Schools. “But we don't have any other child care options. We have to, so we can pay our bills.”

 
 
Families across Western North Carolina face similar unenviable situations where older relatives are the best option to care for homebound children. According to Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, interim health director for Buncombe County, 40% of children in the United States are watched by grandparents when they’re not in school or child care centers.