This article from the Atlantic explores the impacts of school shutdowns, social distancing, and lockdowns on children during the COVID-19 pandemic and how supportive caregivers can mitigate the harms of social isolation. The article notes "the good news is that children—especially young children—are surprisingly resilient as long as they have at least one supportive adult in their life."
The author of the article spoke to Jack Shonkoff, a pediatrician who directs Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, who states that “the most important thing that all children need is a sense of safety,” and that this sense of safety, particularly for younger children, comes from the adults who care for them. "That all-important sense of security might be harder to achieve for families who were thrown into severe economic straits by the shutdown and have had to worry about basic needs such as food, shelter, and medical care," the article continues.