We first started hearing the term “pod” a couple weeks after lockdown began. Initially, it was something to describe a collection of immediate family or friends with whom we could safely interact. At the same time, people started using the term to refer to extended child care units. Parents began banding together to pool child care resources when daycare facilities closed, schools shut down, and the domestic care industry was no longer an option. There were no CDC guidelines or federal guidance. Some were structured, while others were just a place for kids to safely interact while giving parents a chance to catch their breath or catch up on work.
As the summer rolled around and it became clear that traditional activities, such as summer camps, were not forthcoming, these pods took on a new meaning. And now, as many schools are slated to begin the year online and more evidence comes out about young children and coronavirus, parents are reimagining the pod concept for what could be an extended period.
This post, and subsequent ones throughout the week, aims to give you a better sense of what kinds of pods there are, how to set one up, and provide you with some detailed information about legal protections that every parent should know about.
Paint by numbers, sort of
There are no hard and fast rules about how to establish a pod. Part of it is taken on faith that the people with whom you are doing this are taking similar precautions as you and following the protocols recommended by the CDC and other health organizations. However, taking a page from the concept of mutual aid, you can work with others to develop your own protocols and procedures. If you’re unclear what mutual aid is, legal scholar and activist Dean Spade has produced a helpful guidebook. Additionally, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez developed her own guide to setting up a neighborhood pod, which also relies on the practice of mutual aid and can be translated into creating pods for kids.
Pods for school
As the school year approaches, the CDC is incorporating the concept of pods as part of their recommendations to teachers and administrators. However, many parents are already trying to create independent pods after being disappointed with the way online learning was rolled out in the spring. These learning pods run the gamut from simply a place for kids to interact and socialize to customized learning units replete with paid teachers and formalized activities. Sometimes they are distinguished between market and non-market pods. A market one more closely resembles homeschooling and often requires significant monetary support by parents. Non-market pods, by contrast, more closely follow the mutual aid model referred to above.
For some parents, a learning pod is being conceived of as a hybrid play group and schooling option where kids remain enrolled in school, but are completely online. The pod thus becomes a way to develop accountability and structure, while having someone who can supervise (a parent, a nanny) and provide assistance to kids. For others, as noted, it is meant to replace enrollment in school.
Pitfalls of pods
Not all pods are created equally, and not all parents have the option because of time or money constraints or the special needs of their kids. Whether or not you choose to join or start a pod depends a lot on your situation and what you are comfortable with. Remember that when paying someone, whether to care for or teach your children, you are considered an employer, and must abide by the relevant employment laws for care workers or contractors, as may potentially be the case for tutors.
