Hi Carol,
These are great suggestions thank you for sharing.
I am a group home-based in Illinois, I am currently open and sent notice to my parents this weekend of new drop off and pick up policies. I or a staff member are taking the children from them, not allowing anyone to enter the home. We are washing hands constantly, and did a through clean and disinfect of all materials and furniture. I have also removed toys that tend to be mouthed more than others, ie kitchen and other small manipulatives. We have been rotating rooms and taking little adventures today, looking for leprechauns and gold.. Haven't found them but the children have been engaged and having fun.
I am following the CDC and my state Rep and NAEYC for all information, the news is stressful and forget Social Media, the amount of crazy.
I too am slightly concerned about cleaning supplies but I can go old school, if anything this has been a great reminder to my parents the importance of handwashing and the proper method.
Regarding tuition, I have told my parents if I am open it is due, if they would like to use their vacation time they can. If I have a parent who is not getting paid I will of course work with them, but my operating costs with insurance and payroll are still real. Confusing times for many!!
Everyone stay safe and healthy,
I look forward to ideas of verbiage for updating our policies, this is going to be difficult.
Peggy
Successful Starts
Lisle, IL
------------------------------
Peggy Pierce
Owner
Successful Starts Learning Center
Lisle IL
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 11:41 AM
From: Carol Murray
Subject: Childcare OPEN during coronavirus school closings
Connie, and everyone who is open, I am advocating for you. I believe parents should keep paying through the crisis (and we know many will not be able to do so). AND, I hope you have an opportunity to apply for emergency funding to keep your centers going in the coming months. If you are open and caring for children today, please consider these recommendations for emergency child care (below) and please read every word on the new position statement from NAEYC which is powerful and smart and safe and will be a tool we will be using all over the country as we advocate for child care teachers.
IF YOU ARE WORKING IN CHILD CARE TODAY please consider these recommendations
1. include taking each child's temperatures as a part of the morning drop off routine.
2. Reduce the number of children in each group - find creative ways to practice distance and small gatherings
3. Give staff more breaks for emotional health and hand washing
4. Do NOT apply for a waiver to suspend regulations so you can accept more children
5. Ask parents to shorten their child's day to reduce everyone's exposure to group settings
6. spend as much time OUTSIDE as possible
7. Do not serve family style snacks and meals - practice adult lead meals and reduce child to child contact during meals
8. Throw out playdough and sensory materials that were used last week make new ones or do without for awhile
9. Consider closing one day per week for extra cleaning and peace of mind
10. Remember, you have the right to close if you choose and many child care centers have made that decision to protect their own health and the health of their family members
11. Ask the administration or governing body that employs you what plans they have in place for considering hazardous duty pay.
12. Use this as an opportunity to talk about child care as essential work during emergency times and remind people that plans will change day to day and you are keeping everyone's best interest in mind as you navigate this new territory
------------------------------
Carol Murray
Bard Nursery School
Red Hook NY
Original Message:
Sent: 03-15-2020 12:32 AM
From: Connie Richard
Subject: Childcare OPEN during coronavirus school closings
Our state closed all public schools but want child cares to stay open with regular schedules. They want everyone to cancel large group activities of 100 or more people. We have 90 children with parents coming and going all day, so basically 200 people in and out all day. Now we have the school age children in the center all day as well. This creates staffing issues. The biggest obstacles we face are keeping stocked with cleaning supplies and food supplies with all of the local stores being cleaned out by panic shoppers. We do not use vendors and we don't have custodians. We do all of the shopping, cooking and cleaning ourselves. The state also wants us to increase hand washing for staff and children and keep them from touching their faces, and sneezing into elbows or tissues . I agree with this and we try to do it, but have you ever seen a group of 12 one year olds or 15 Two year old do this correctly? We already have the burden of not being able to meet community needs for child care in a normal time, but this crisis is stretching us to the breaking point. If the state wants universal free pre-K then families have to be ready for future school closings because I can guarantee you that the state will sing a different tune when they have the little ones in their system too.
------------------------------
Connie Richard
Hartly Family Learning Ctr
Hartly DE
Original Message:
Sent: 03-14-2020 12:52 AM
From: Carol Murray
Subject: Childcare OPEN during coronavirus school closings
Dear Colleagues,
I am curious to know if any of you have guidelines by which you operate and stay OPEN for essential workers (doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks, etc) during mandated school closings.
My school is currently closed for 14 days as per county executive order, but I am curious to know what other centers are doing or have done to care for children of the essential workers during a world crisis such as as the one that is currently at our front door.
I know we are all on uncharted territory - and I appreciate any and all suggestions about how we as a CARE-FORCE support those essential members of society who are on the front lines right now.
With care,
Carol
------------------------------
Carol Murray
Bard Nursery School
Red Hook NY
------------------------------