08 Jul COVID-19 Announcements

Dear Parent/Caregiver,

The health and safety of the children in our community is our number one priority. We have all been experiencing a new way of life with the COVID 19 or Coronavirus. We have been quarantined to our homes, had to wear masks outside, physically distance ourselves from loved ones and friends, and some of us have not been able to work or go to school.

Now, that some parts of our lives are making their way back to a new “normal” we want you to be prepared for some of the changes that you and your child will experience when you return. It is important that we take precautions, as symptoms may not be the same for every person. To make sure this illness does not continue to spread, we intend to take all reasonable precautions, such as:

• Parent Drop-Off– There will be a hand washing/sanitizing station at the door of the direct childcare area to reduce the amount of outside traffic inside of the center. Parents and children will be asked to wait at the door, and a staff member will escort the child to their classroom.  Pickup will be a similar process, and children will be brought to the door to their parents.  We ask that you have the same person drop off and pick up your child each day if possible.
• Daily Health Check- Upon drop-off, we will ask if you or anyone in your household has been ill. We will also take your child’s temperature before entering their class.  If the child’s temperature is above 100.4 degrees, they will not be allowed to attend school.  Children should be fever free without medication for 24 hours prior to returning to the childcare program.
  

  If a case of Covid-19 arises, the staff or child with COVID-19 will be isolated for a minimum of 7 days after symptom onset and 72 hours after their fever resolves without fever-reducing medicines. For example, if the fever and symptoms resolve on day 7, the staff or child can return on day 10. Staff or children with household contacts with COVID-19 will be quarantined for 14 days after their last household exposure. For most, this will be 14 days after the household contact with COVID-19 is released from isolation.

• Physical Distancing- The children will be broken down into smaller groups during class time activities. This may mean that class activities will be completed in separate groups, or class sizes will be reduced.  Classroom furniture will be arranged to provide more space for children to play.  Windows may be open to provide more air circulation.  In addition, the use of masks by staff and children may be implemented when physical distancing is not possible.  When possible, nap equipment (cribs, cots or mats) will be separated 6 feet apart with children facing head to toe at naptime.  Mealtimes will no longer be done in family-style, but staff will serve the children their meals.  Children may be spaced apart during mealtimes as well, in order to limit the number of children in close proximity.
• Sanitizing and Disinfecting- To keep everyone as safe as possible, we will intensify our efforts to keep our facility disinfected. Staff will increase their frequency of cleaning surfaces and classroom materials.  Surfaces such as doorknobs, sink handles, and railings will be disinfected regularly.
• Hand Washing- Children and staff will wash hands more frequently throughout the day to reduce the transmission of germs. Hand washing is still the #1 way of combating illness. Proper handwashing will be reinforced in the childcare sites and will be monitored closely by staff.

We are committed to protecting the health of our children, staff, and families by taking the everyday preventative measures listed above, however, it is also important for families to monitor their own health for any symptoms.

• We ask that you assist us in our efforts to prevent the spread of illness by continuing to practice proper hand washing at home.
• It is also very important to follow our program’s exclusion policies. If you have questions about those exclusion policies, please let us know. These policies have been altered or updated to reflect additional Covid-19 safety measures.
• We ask that you notify us immediately should your child, or someone in the household, become ill.

We will continue to follow these guidelines diligently to stop the spread of COVID-19. The CDC website will continue to be monitored closely for any additional guidelines and precautions.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.  We thank you for your partnership during this time and will continue to update you as we receive new information.

Warm Regards,

Heavenly Daycare and Learning Center Inc.