More businesses reopening in New Jersey has created a need for expanded child care, and part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s Stage 2 plan is allowing day care centers, such as The Learning Experience in Wall, to reopen with new, safer measures.

“It's so exciting,” says Regional Director Danielle Morris. “We are so excited to welcome back our little learners. Parents are just as excited to come see Bubbles and all his friends.”

More than 50 of The Learning Experience locations reopened this week in New Jersey, to the delight of parents such as Maggie Makac.

“You guys don't understand,” says Makac. “I give more credit to teachers than I ever have. I'm a single mom and having to stay home with her a 4-year-old all day was definitely a new level of parenting."

Morris oversees the operations, and safety guidelines in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

“When you drop your child off in the front vestibule, the parent will be required to wear a mask,” says Morris. “Anybody above the age of two and older will be recommended to wear a mask and then we will take temperatures at the front door. We will also ask a bunch. I've tried to call questions as well and then your child will be escorted from the vestibule by a teacher to their classroom."

 

A relief for Makac, as she returns this week to her job for the first time in months – installing pools.

“Definitely, we have missed coming here,” says Makac. “My daughter asked about her teachers and her friends all day every day and we didn't know what it was going to happen or how it's going to happen getting up to speed with letting us know what they're going to do."

Following strict CDC guidelines, class sizes are limited to just 10 children. Administrators say they hope the restrictions are loosened in the coming weeks or months.