Last week, The New York Times wrote up a poll on parental duties during the pandemic. The headline had us laughing and cringing: “Nearly Half of Men Say They Do Most of the Home Schooling. 3 Percent of Women Agree.”

Indeed, the upshot of a recent Morning Consult survey was that a plurality of men said they spend more time helping kids with schoolwork—45 percent—but only 3 percent of women actually said their partners were taking care of most of it. The disparity reflects an ongoing dilemma for women, who are more likely to be solo parents and often the default caretaker even in households with two working parents.

So amid plans and projections for “re-opening the country,” it’s largely been mothers who have spoken up to say that we can’t expect to go back to business without daycares and schools open again. “Getting people back to work requires sufficient child care,” wrote Carrie Lukas, president of the Independent Women’s Forum, in The Washington Post. Female members of Congress have also led efforts pushing for more public support to keep childcare facilities afloat.

As churches also consider possible plans to reopen, leaders have focused on what social distancing measures can reduce the risk of spreading the virus, especially for the elderly. But houses of worship will have to consider some of the same childcare questions too.

Under updated regulations here in Georgia, my own church can start meeting as long as we keep gatherings small and space ourselves out. But we’ve opted to stay shut. One factor has been how many families in our congregation have young kids. The rules for reopening may sound doable—unless you’re a mom with little ones in tow. No nursery? No children’s church? Barreling toddlers have no regard for a six-foot social distance, especially when they haven’t seen other children in months.

Churches that reopen without childcare for their youngest members may be putting parents in a tricky bind or forcing them to continue to stay home. Even though children seem to be at the lowest risk for contracting COVID-19, it seems like they could be the determining factor for when some congregations start meeting again.

Kate