Let’s thank our child care heroes

Thank you, Gazette, for remembering about the children in your recent editorial. They seem to be the forgotten ones in the debate about what is required to reopen our state.

At the same time, let's honor child caregivers who are currently risking their well-being and the well-being of their families to offer quality care to children of parents who must work in essential jobs. Caregivers persist even though child care centers and homes struggle to find the economic support they need to stay open.

If grocery store workers and others are heroes - and they certainly are - so, then, are the child caregivers who risk their own health and the health of their families to provide the care, so essential workers can go to work.

Iowa is a child care desert, but not totally barren. We are fortunate to have people who, throughout this crises have been brave enough and dedicated enough to take the risk to provide quality care. Let us all give them the recognition they deserve and the support they need to get the job done.

Myrna Loehrlein

Cedar Rapids