LAUSR

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted child development and the well-being of caregivers, and such evidence ought to be used to inform public policy decisions. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on children's behaviors and their caregivers' needs. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with 153 caregivers of children (from 0 to 5 years old) from three public daycare centers in Brazil. The Nurturing Care Framework of the World Health Organization was used to guide the assessment of caregivers' needs. Online data collection using a questionnaire was conducted from June to July 2020. RESULTS The COVID-19 pandemic increased stressors such as low family income, unemployment, sadness, depression, and anxiety of caregivers. Their most commonly reported needs were related to offering age-appropriate playful activities (49.7%), organizing the care routine of children at home (41.8%), and educating children when they do something wrong (39.9%). Additionally, the results showed that misbehavior, aggressiveness, and agitation occurred more frequently among preschoolers than infants or toddlers (p ≤ .05). CONCLUSION During the COVID-19 pandemic, public policies should provide mental health support to caregivers, as well as information about security, safety, and early learning opportunities for childcare at home.