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Kentucky Parents Scrambling for Child Care Reach Out to Facebook 'Village'

Heather Shadwell

With Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s order for child care centers to close by 5 p.m. Friday in response to the coronavirus outbreak, parents are scrambling.

That includes one Warren County couple whose daycare is already shut down.

Heather Shadwell is an Emergency Medical Technician who lives in Warren County and works 24-hour shifts for Logan County EMS in Russellville. Her husband works in distribution for the Medical Center in Bowling Green.

They have a 5-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son who have been going to First Baptist Child Development Center in Bowling Green. Shadwell said that changed when the daycare center shut down last Friday. 

“I was very anxious about what was going to happen, because my husband and I rely on our child care facility every single day, as we both work in health care," said Shadwell. "So I had no idea what I was going to do, and for a brief moment I panicked. Then I turned to Facebook.”

She said reaching out to her Facebook 'village' seemed like one of the only options, since she is also taking an advanced EMT course two days a week in Caldwell County, and she's on the road a lot.

“And I just put a shoutout that said, 'Anybody that can help out please let me know. I will do anything I can, whatever will work. I just need help'," said Shadwell. "And I immediately had several people offer their help, which I was so thankful for.”

Shadwell said she has pieced together child care, at least for this week. A friend in Logan County will take care of the children for two days, and her husband will pick them up after work and take them home to Bowling Green. Three days this week, Shadwell’s mother, who is working from home, will take care of the children.

There are still two days next week when she and her husband haven’t yet figured out care for their two children.  

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