44: Guidance for childcare programs and schools during the pandemic

- May 12, 2020

Q: During this uncertain time, schools are trying to decide to stay close or reopen. How do I keep my clients, staff, and myself safe?

💁Tracy: It is a difficult time decide one way or the other, but social distancing and other hygiene practices need to be adopted to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Discussing and communicating with your clients in advance to allow them to make arrangements will be a good idea too.

If your clients are primarily essential workers or you cannot close for other reasons, you may choose to stay open, but please follow all the precautions as much as possible.

Here are some tips that will help keep everyone in the program safe:

Have an emergency plan that you have practiced with your staff, so that you can shut down quickly and safely if the need arises. This should include contact information and preferred means of contact for all families.
Keep social distancing as much as possible in different situations, including classroom settings, outdoor activities, meal time, rest time, dropping off and picking up time, etc.
Reduce class sizes, and place students in alternative rows or seats, whenever possible.
Avoid putting staff and children in small close spaces and indoor spaces with poor ventilation.
Ask staff and students to wash hands frequently whenever possible.
Check temperature of every person arriving at the program daily, multiple times if possible. Persons who have a fever of 100.4°F (38.00°C) or above, or other signs of illness should not be admitted to the facility. If any staff have any symptoms or discomfort, stay at home and see a doctor.
If you use non-contact (e.g., forehead) thermometers, clean them with an alcohol wipe between each client.
Teach best hygiene practices to the staff so they can show to the children.

Keep personal items in closed separate bins for each person within the facility.
All cleaning materials should be kept secure and out of reach of children.
Have your staff wear gloves and masks when handling babies, toddlers or personal items belonging to them, if possible. Some toddlers will be afraid of people in masks, so introduce the masks and allow toddlers and older children to wear them also. Change masks frequently.

Clean surfaces before disinfecting them.
Disinfect items and surfaces regularly. Be sure to follow guidelines for safely using disinfectants in areas frequented by children.
Provide as much distancing as possible during meals and snacks when masks cannot be worn.

Open windows and doors to allow ventilation.
Close space at night or for a short period during the day to allow for a deep cleaning of the facility.
Decrease class sizes so social distance can be maintained in smaller spaces and avoid the use of large common spaces such as cafeterias.
Discourage group activities.
Encourage students and families to practice hygiene at home and outside of the program.
Teach how infections spread; focus on COVID-19; empower your students to stay healthy.
Send sick staff or students home immediately and have a separate space where a child who becomes ill can wait to be picked up. Follow government guidance on what to do if someone in the facility becomes sick.

Guidance for Schools

Apart from those stated above, encourage your staff and teachers to adjust curriculum plan for online learning, and come up with plans for those who don't have good internet access and students with special needs. Ensure continuity of meal programs and consider alternative ways to distribute food to students. Check with other schools and facilities to see what they are doing, stay connected and informed.

Ms. Tracy encourages all people to maintain social distancing and avoid meeting in groups.

Resources:

Writing: Debbie Vilardi; Proofreading: Suzhen Jiang, Jie Chen, Helen shih; Artwork: Lucia