COVID-19

 

Our Center and COVID-19

View our Coronavirus Response Plan here.

As of October 5, 2020, the Governor of our state has declared that all child care centers may resume normal classroom ratios, group sizes, and capacities according to the issued license. We will continue exercising CDC recommendations as follows:

  • Guidance for face coverings, social distancing, and disinfection is still in place.

  • We will continue to record temperatures and monitor symptoms of children before admittance into classrooms.

  • Only children and staff are admitted into classrooms.

  • Parents will continue to drop off and pick up at the outside doors.

  • In-person tours will not be conducted.

As of June 8, 2020, the State of Maryland will no longer fund care for Essential Personnel in Essential Personnel Child Programs (see notification here). Our center is still considered an Essential Personnel Child Care Center, and we are still following the guidelines and mandates as such. All Essential Personnel will begin paying tuition for the week of July 8-12, 2020, at our usual rates as published on our website here.

Also, as of June 8, 2020, all families are eligible to return as businesses are given permission to open as stated in Governor Hogan’s Executive order #20-06-03-01 found here and Interpretive Guidance from the State’s Office of Legal Counsel found here. Upon your return, you are responsible for paying tuition at the rates published on our website here for the week of June 8-12, 2020. All financial policies resume as recorded in your Financial Agreement. Payments for the week of June 8-12, 2020 are due on Friday, June 5, 2020. If you are returning on June 8, you payment is due on June 8.

Please be aware that we are still mandated to limit group sizes to 14 children per classroom, so space is limited. If you have the capability to have your child remain at home with you or another family member, that is the best option.

It has always been our goal to provide a healthy and safe environment. We continue to take the following steps to help safeguard the health and well-being of our children, families, and staff until further notice:

  • Cloth face coverings will be worn by staff and children whenever feasible in accordance with guidance from the Maryland State Department of Education. Read the full Interim Guidance, dated April 23, here.

  • Hand washing, as always, will be our primary safeguard. Children are taught to wash hands after toileting, after going outside, before handling food, after coughing or sneezing, after using a tissue, and any other time that germs may be spread or hands are visibly dirty. They will be reminded more often to do so. Staff will continue to follow proper hand washing procedures. Hand sanitizers (at least 60% alcohol-based) will be used only until hands can be washed with soap and warm running water.

  • Children are taught to sneeze and cough into their elbow. This will be reinforced.

  • We will disinfect with bleach sanitizing solution (1/3 cup of household bleach to 1 gallon of water) as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (source: CDC.gov, available here). All surfaces are disinfected multiple times daily.

  • We are not allowing visitors at this time. Parents enrolling their children for the first time are not considered visitors. They will only be permitted into the office. There will be no tours given until further notice.

  • Full-time, permanent staff are given choices of hours; substitutes and some aides may have their hours reduced or increased, based on need. Any staff exhibiting symptoms will not be admitted to work.

  • Symptom and temperature checks are done every morning beforeentry into the building. Every child's temperature is taken with the family’s own thermometer. The center will use its thermometer if the family forgets to bring theirs. The center uses a touchless thermometer. Children whose temperatures are 100.4 F or above or who are exhibiting other symptoms common to COVID-19 are not admitted into care.

  • Parents take their child(ren) to the classroom’s exterior emergency door and knock for the teacher to receive them. Children are dropped off at the door to limit exposure. If the teacher cannot respond, the parent must wait. The teacher will bring the attendance sheet to you for you to sign in. A signature is required when signing in and out. Some school aged children will be permitted to walk to their classroom.

  • As previously stated, we are limiting exposure to children; therefore, family visits to the classroom will not be permitted until further notice.

  • At pick-up, parents knock on the classroom’s exterior emergency door. The teacher brings the child and the clipboard. If the teacher cannot immediately come to the door, the parent must wait. The teacher may be changing a diaper or assisting a child in another way. Some school aged children will walk to the exit door to their waiting parents.

Please consult our calendar page for updates of events.

Please do not hesitate to contact our office at (410) 682-6462 if there are any questions.