What We Are Doing About COVID-19

Let us start by welcoming you all back to Share and Care. We are excited to see you all, in our new “normal”. If you haven’t been with us since June or July, you probably have a few questions- in reference as to how things are going, what are we doing differently, how are the kids adjusting…and many more. I hope this helps ease your minds a bit!

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Things are going well. Amazingly enough with our awesome staff and supportive families, everything has been pretty smooth. We have implemented extreme cleaning practices to keep the likelihood of infection to a minimum. We have staff coming in prior to their classroom shift to clean high traffic and frequently touched areas. Door knobs, faucets, light switches, even walls! That, in addition to nightly deep cleaning, UV lights placed in closed classrooms at night, and constant wiping down and disinfecting has been essential!

We also have altered our drop off and pick up slightly. In our foyer, we have a hand washing station and a no contact thermometer. We ask that all hands are washed and temperatures are taken prior to entering the building. Please record your child’s temperature on the clipboard when you sign them in. If the foyer is occupied, please use social distancing and wait outside. Parents are also not allowed to enter the children’s classrooms for now. Please sign them in and say your goodbyes in the doorway. This limits the other children’s exposure to risks. Nap items will stay for the week, but will not be kept on the cots. We will bag them daily and hang them on their hooks or in their cubbies so as to keep everyone’s items from being stacked on the cots.

Now to the biggest question…face masks! Yes, all children 2 and older need to be wearing a mask. The must enter and depart the building wearing their mask, and wear it throughout the day. Masks are taken off for meal time, nap time, and outdoor play. Honestly, we are so impressed with how well the children are doing with their masks. Kids are so much more adaptable than us! It is not a big deal to them because everyone is wearing them so it isn’t strange or scary. At nap, cots are spaced out as much as possible, and in the smaller rooms we have purchased plexiglass dividers to place between the cots during nap.

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We have also established a Covid-19 Travel Policy. If any families or staff travel to an area affected by a spike in COVID-19 cases, we are requiring they do not return to Share and Care for 7 days from the date they return home. We encourage self quarantine to limit the risk of any exposure. A 50% holding fee will be required for the week children are absent due to travel quarantine.

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Our class sizes are remaining limited to 8 for Infants, 9 for Toddlers, 12 for Twos, and 15 for all other groups. Due to these restrictions, we have to be fairly strict about set schedules and tuition payments. We are requiring all outstanding tuition to be paid prior to starting back. As a reminder, tuition is always due the Friday prior to attendance. We will send home reminders if payments are not received in a timely manner and it may affect future enrollment if late or missing tuition becomes habitual. Thank you for understanding our position as we have waiting lists for most of our classrooms and simply cannot afford to carry outstanding balances.

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Hopefully this has answered many of your questions, but please feel free to call if we missed something! Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Parent Precautionary Protocols

A child's household must remain out of the center if any member of the household has or has been in close contact with anyone who has:

• A confirmed case of COVID-19

• Traveled internationally, domestically, from an area which is currently experiencing widespread community transmission of COVID, or from any area which is subject to similar travel restrictions under applicable state and local guidance.

14 days after the last potential exposure, your household may return provided these three things have happened:​

1. At least 7 days have passed since any household members first experienced symptoms.

2. Symptoms have improved for any household member that experienced symptoms, such as cough, shortness of breath has improved.

3. The household has been fever-free for at least 72 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.

Depending on the circumstances, administration may require the parent to obtain medical clearance before returning to the center is allowed.

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Definition of Terms

HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS - include individuals who may not live in the household but may be staying there or are otherwise present in the household on a regular basis. (ex. nannies, caregivers, home health workers, contractors) and includes anyone with pick up or drop off privileges at the center.

CLOSE CONTACT - defined by CDC as (1) being within approximately 6 feet of COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time and can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting area with a COVID-19 case, or (2) having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (being coughed on) Considerations when assessing close contact include the duration of exposure and the clinical symptoms of the person with COVID-19.

Exclusion from the center is sometimes necessary to reduce the transmission of illness. For the child's comfort, and to reduce the risk of contagion, parents will be asked to pick up their child within 1 hour of notification. Until then, the child will be kept comfortable in an isolated area and will continue to be observed for symptoms.

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Additional Practices

Our goal is to have a safe and happy environment for our children. So, during the COVID-19 crisis, we will be implementing the additional practices:

• Regularly touched items will be disinfected morning, afternoon, and at close. (This includes doorknobs, toilet flushers, light switches, computer mice, tables and chairs, hard surface toys, etc.)

• All toys that have been in a child's mouth will immediately be put in a tub to be disinfected.

• Water fountains will not be used during this time.

• Staff will be trained on how to complete additional disinfecting throughout the day.

• Parents entering the foyer will be asked to wash their hands at the washing station. Parents are not allowed to enter the classroom.

• Temperatures of all staff, children and family members will be taken upon arrival.

• ALL CHILDREN MUST ARRIVE BY 9AM DAILY!

• Staff will stay, as much as possible, with the same group of children all day.

• Children and staff will be encouraged to wash hands frequently throughout the day.

• Meals will be plated and not served family style.

• Children will not be grouped together for outdoor play or at the beginning or end of each day.

• Children will be placed on cots six feet apart or separated by a plexiglass barrier.

• Only a maximum of 15 children per classroom until notified differently by our local health department.

• Masks are mandatory for all children 2 and older when tolerated, and all family members entering the building.