Updated as of September 1, 2021, and for the foreseeable future, we will be taking extra precautions to ward off Coronavirus. In addition to enhancing our basic policies, we are taking these extra steps to support the health and safety of your children, your family, and our staff. Please take note of the following changes to our policies and procedures:

 

Child & Staff Health & Wellness

 

• Staff will adhere to all CDC and VT CDD recommendations and guidance.

 

• Children who start to experience symptoms of respiratory illness, including a fever of >100.4 while at child care, will be isolated from other children until they can be picked up.​

 

Children and staff will be excluded from in-person activities if they:

 

• Show symptoms of COVID-19, such as a cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell.

 

• Have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days

 

• Have a fever (temperature higher than 100.4°F)

 

• Have a significant new rash, particularly when other symptoms are present

 

• Have large amounts of nasal discharge in the absence of allergy diagnosis

 

• Children and staff with a fever greater than 100.4°F, no specific diagnosis, and COVID19 is not suspected by the healthcare provider must remain at home until they have had no fever for a minimum of 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications (e.g., Advil, Tylenol).

 

• Staff and children will wash their hands immediately upon entering the program and immediately prior to leaving. Staff will wash/scrub their hands and children’s hands a minimum of hourly (noted by the CDC as the most effective preventive measure).​

 

• All staff have received training and education on COVID-19 symptoms, infection control, workplace disinfection, and preventative measures including practices and procedures.​​

 

Pick Up/Drop off Procedure

 

Please ring the doorbell upon your arrival to pick up your child, a staff member will assist your child with handwashing and bring your child out to you. Only one child pick-up person should be at the entrance at a time. Please maintain social distancing while waiting for your child at pick-up time. (Follow same procedures for drop off). 

 

Healthy Environment​​

 

• All classrooms will remain separated to reduce the number of children in one area and to reduce the possibility of viral transmission.

 

• Staff will disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as door handles, light switches, faucets, toys, and games that children play with throughout the day and perform an enhanced deep cleaning every night in all areas, on all touched surfaces in buildings and playgrounds.​

 

• Children will not be permitted to bring toys from home except for one nap time item which will remain with the child’s nap bedding until nap time.

 

Meal Preparation & Service

 

To minimize the spread of germs during food service, we have implemented the following practices:​​

 

• All surfaces will be disinfected before and after meal preparation and feedings using EPA-approved disinfectant products.

 

• All staff will wash hands before and after meal preparation, serving, and feeding.

 

• Staff will guide and direct children to wash their hands before each meal or snack.

 

• Each child’s meal will be plated and served by staff, instead of served family-style.

 

• Children will not share utensils.

 

In the event of a confirmed case

 

We will follow emergency guidelines as announced by the CDC with support from VT CDD. If updates and closures are announced after business hours and include the need to close or change our practices we will notify all staff and families immediately by email and social media, and by phone, as soon as possible. In the event that we receive reports of a confirmed COVID-19 case (student or staff) OR due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the community at large, we are prepared to initiate “deep cleaning/disinfecting” protocols and temporary closure. If a center must be closed for an extended period, we will provide suggestions for activities and lessons to facilitate and support continued learning at home.