TORONTO -- As parents look forward to enjoying the holidays with their children, many will be scrambling to make child care arrangements as publicly-funded elementary and secondary schools in the province will close for in-person learning until at least Jan. 11.

During that time, students will be learning remotely at home, but many parents are grappling at how they will juggle work and child care.

“We’re not sure yet,” said Daniel Seamen, who has a daughter in kindergarten and a son in Grade 4. “ I have to work, but my wife, it’s not clear if she has to go to work, she can’t work from home.”

For some parents like Brendon Allen, who is a single dad and school teacher, there are no alternatives. 

He said that with the surge in COVID-19 cases, it’s too dangerous to rely on family and therefore, will be juggling teaching his students virtually while watching his two children. 

“That makes the time at home more intense. You’re making a meal while you’re helping with a math lesson while trying to prepare a lesson of your own online,” he said. 

Child care centres will remain open for the duration of the lockdown, however, the province is prohibiting centres from providing services to school-aged children.

“It’s (child care) always an afterthought and that is particularly hard this year,” said Donna Spireitzer, who is the executive director of Jackman Community Daycare.

She said she is now having to tell a majority of her families of school-aged children that they won’t be able to provide them care during the first week of January after seeking clarity from public health officials. 

“We will be operating our preschool program, but 98 of our school aged children will not be attending that week.”

Spireitzer is also concerned about the lost revenue, because the province prohibits daycare operators from charging families when their children cannot attend due to the lockdown restrictions. 

“Nine of the families of the 12 preschool children have siblings in our school-aged care as well and will not be able to come to our child care, so the question is we’re prepared to be open but will we have children to serve,” she said. 

Ontario premier Doug Ford said during a new conference on Tuesday that the minister of education suggested that the school closures and remote learning would not be extended.

“We want to get kids back to class,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said. “We’re taking a one-time proactive, preventative intervention at the front of the school year following the holidays to protect the incredible progress we’ve made in our schools. So of course our intent is to get kids back in the schools on the dates prescribed.“ 

Seaman said he hopes that’s the case, and suggested that a week could be manageable. 

“If it’s just temporary, that’s fine, I think that’s a sensible thing to do but it’s not going to be easy.”