With Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker now extending statewide school closures to May 4, many parents who are still working are now scrambling to find childcare.
Schools in Massachusetts will be closed until May 4 at the earliest, and that's having an impact on parents.
For mom Darnisha Cohen of Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, Wednesday night held a trip to the supermarket. Her three kids are home all day and they need food.
"It's a lot of meal-making," said Cohen. "Have to get up and do school work, it's hard to stay on the schedule."
Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday that the statewide school shutdown will last even longer than anticipated as officials try to help curb the spread of coronavirus.
"I was surprised," said Stefanie Lawrence, a mom of two. "I was looking forward to them going back in April, but now it's May."
The three-week closure that was set to expire April 6 has been extended by nearly a month at minimum. The extension also applies to day care centers, with the exception of programs for children of essential workers which are still operating.
State education officials say they'll provide guidance to school districts on Thursday on how to handle the ongoing situation.
"This is an amazing opportunity to think about project-based learning," said Jeffrey Riley, Massachusetts' commissioner for elementary and secondary education. "To think about reading a book, to think about cooking recipes and how that works."
And that's exactly what Cohen is doing.
"I've been teaching them things they might not learn at school," said Cohen. "Like cooking eggs, making their bed."
