(KNSI) – The need to close schools due to the COVID-19 outbreak has left many parents wondering where they’re going to send their kids if their work has deemed them an essential employee, but they can’t work from home. Bharti Wahi is the executive director of the Children’s Defense Fund and says she’s worried about the kids and the parents in this situation.

“We’re going to still need folks that work in post offices and banks to be able to go to work, and my deep concern is that we are going to have a child-care system that is just not able to weather the challenges.”

The CDF is urging lawmakers to give the Department of Human Services emergency powers to give child care centers more flexibility to meet the needs of parents.

“And so, the real critical weaknesses of it are now being seen, when we are in this really urgent crisis situation.”

A recent audit shows that the state has left the daycare system drastically underfunded. The Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota has recently opened up its doors to essential workers to provide child care for essential workers.