COVID19: If You're Staying Open, What are You Doing to Keep You & Your Group Healthy?

[Faith is a gift too]

The schools & school daycares are closed for 2 weeks here instead of usual 1 for spring break. Child care providers outside of the schools have received instruction from licensing encouraging us to stay open, which I plan on doing, unless we have a confirmed case of Coronavirus, then we close, disinfect, contact the health department, etc....

This has me thinking about social distancing in a childcare setting what that might look like? I myself am trying to keep my distance (although 6 feet is not possible) and still assist the children with what they need. Thankfully I do not have any that are in diapers right now.
At the same time I don't think that it's a reasonable expectation for any child to practice social distancing (I would equate it to torture).

We are washing our hands like usual since we follow standard precautions.

I have a kids Henry the Hand germ video & germ book that we read and talk washing hands about not touching our faces (but they still do-another unreasonable expectation). I've been reviewing these about 1x week since this circus started.

I encourage them to cover their sneezes with her elbows and turn away from their friends if they have a sneeze.

I've removed the cloth/porous toys from the play area and am only keeping toys that can easily be disinfected 2-3x a week. I am cleaning often touched hard surfaces twice as offen.

Besides all this I feel like there is not much else to do and I especially don't want to scare them. I imagine they are concerned since the grown ups are acting strange.

I'm just curious to know what steps everyone else is taking that might be helpful for our kiddos?

[Unregistered]

I only have one family with a 3 year old and a small baby and possibly the school aged kids of my old family may return if they close school. I will be working as usual unless someone shows symptoms. I plan to wash hands a lot, sanitizer door knobs, encourage use of tissues and not sneezing on people, etc. and just go about business as usual since there won't be a lot of people in and out here.

[Valerie928]

Zero, I mean ZERO illnesses aloud in my home. Not even the common runny nose, nada. My parents get it.

[Faith is a gift too]

Zero, I mean ZERO illnesses aloud in my home. Not even the common runny nose, nada. My parents get it.

Zero, I mean ZERO illnesses aloud in my home. Not even the common runny nose, nada. My parents get it.

.

My illness policies are ok w runny nose for 2 days if there's no fever.
Is this something new in addition to your existing policies, did you send a letter?

Our responsible governor who wouldn't want to cause any panic....said in his recent press conference that most of us we'll probably get it at some point. (then he also laid down under a bus why he told us we would all get it, jk)
Then he rationally explained
how we need to slow the process down so we don't overwhelm our health system. Hmmmm?, I wonder what the takaway was for the folks who are hoarding toilet paper was.

I've also decided to do drop offs outside and I will be signing the kids in and out. The sign in sheets seem like a good hotspot. I'm expecting some of us in our group or extended
family might get it. I just don't want us to all get it at the same time.

[BumbleBee]

We've slightly increased hand washing and sanitizing. I say slightly because we already wash hands multiple times a day and sanitize regularly.

My illness policy is, I feel, solid. From what I understand of this virus my illness policy covers the symptoms already. I have kept it the same but sent a reminder copy of it to all parents.

We don't go to group activities anyways so no change there.

Reminders to cover coughs, use tissues, etc. As we do regularly.

Pulled out books about germs again and we've read those. They will be on the bookshelf.

[Jupadia]

Schools are closed, as well as daycare centers located in schools or city run buildings in addition any city run centers have been closed.

This leaves private centers and home daycares still open.

I plan to stay open till I'm either ordered closed or one of us family members gets sick. I've only got two kids comming right now,, and will have a sibbling which aged out comming some days for the next 3 weeks cause there no school or March break camps. I will sign up anyone wanting a permanent spot, but not sure if I'll do any additional drop ins.

I'm cleaning toys a bit more during the week, taken out soft toys, and costumes / masks. As well I'm sending home at first sign of any sickness.

[PB&J]

Following cdc...+

https://www.cdc.gov/Coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/checklist.html

We are mostly following this, considering also that we have only 22 kids (not 120+ like centers) and that we have no documented cases in our county. We will get more strict as the situation worsens. Otherwise we are being vigilant about our sickness policy, hand washing (even upon arrival for kids), and sanitizing all surfaces constantly.

[Valerie928]

.

My illness policies are ok w runny nose for 2 days if there's no fever.
Is this something new in addition to your existing policies, did you send a letter?

Our responsible governor who wouldn't want to cause any panic....said in his recent press conference that most of us we'll probably get it at some point. (then he also laid down under a bus why he told us we would all get it, jk)
Then he rationally explained
how we need to slow the process down so we don't overwhelm our health system. Hmmmm?, I wonder what the takaway was for the folks who are hoarding toilet paper was.

I've also decided to do drop offs outside and I will be signing the kids in and out. The sign in sheets seem like a good hotspot. I'm expecting some of us in our group or extended
family might get it. I just don't want us to all get it at the same time.

This is new. I usually don't exclude for a clear runny nose or little cold. But I changed that the other day. Talked to each of my daycare families. They totally understand.

[Blackcat31]

This is new. I usually don't exclude for a clear runny nose or little cold. But I changed that the other day. Talked to each of my daycare families. They totally understand.

I did the same. Everyone agreed. One mom was mad
I told her I’d rather tick one mom off than risk everyone’s health.
She’s still mad
I’m not really caring

[dolores]

Our licensing agency recommended we put this on our front door:

https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/childcare/letterstoproviders/2020/Dear-Provider-2020Mar11-facility-signs.pdf

[Sunshine69]

I’ve got a parent having a fit over his kids being excluded for their chronic cough. He wanted to know who to call. I gave him the DOH # and wished him good luck.

Now that school is closed he’s on FB complaining about the increased daycare costs. Makes it that much easier to term, when the time comes, guilt free. Plus he’s already advertising what a pleasant client he is for other providers 😉

[Faith is a gift too]

I did the same. Everyone agreed. One mom was mad
I told her I’d rather tick one mom off than risk everyone’s health.
She’s still mad
I’m not really caring

Lol, that's too funny!: "she's still mad"...must need eyes to see. This is not about me me me me, its about we.

[Valerie928]

I did the same. Everyone agreed. One mom was mad
I told her I’d rather tick one mom off than risk everyone’s health.
She’s still mad
I’m not really caring

Parents are worse than kids sometimes!

[Ariana]

Zero, I mean ZERO illnesses aloud in my home. Not even the common runny nose, nada. My parents get it.

I wrote this to my families right before the schools shut down here and I decided to close. Zero tolerance for illness.

[Cat Herder]

I am following my usual illness policy and cleaning routine. I did minimize toys, but I never wanted as many as QRIS required out, anyway. We already learned this lesson, silly to have gone backwards to begin with. I am also prepared to shelter in place with all 6 kids for up to three weeks in a worse case scenario.