The CDC has issued draft guidance on “reopening.” There are 17 pages applicable to childcare facilities, school and day camps, faith communities, and a variety of employers and businesses. Today, let’s look at the guidance for childcare/school/day camp.
First, the CDC recognizes that reopening childcare programs is critical to getting everyone back to work. This is the most rational statement I have heard from anyone in the longest time. I want to take a bath in how reasonable and important it is.
But also, “hi, everyone. This is a big deal and you can’t just be like, ‘I’m bored, let’s reopen childcare facilities.’” If your community still needs significant mitigation efforts, you need to keep childcare centers closed except for kids of essential health workers.
You have to make all decisions in collaboration with local health officials based on how much transmission of Covid-19 is happening AND what your local healthcare facilities can handle.
When childcare facilities are able to reopen, they need to do so with “enhanced social distancing measures.” (Phase 2)
The first thing is SO MUCH HANDWASHING. So much discussion of handwashing. Posters everywhere about handwashing. Plenty of hand sanitizer.
The first thing is SO MUCH HANDWASHING. So much discussion of handwashing. Posters everywhere about handwashing. Plenty of hand sanitizer.
Staff members need to wear cloth face coverings. (Good luck with drop off, parents! That’s totally not going to freak out your three-year-old!).
These facilities are going to have to be at the TOP of their cleaning game. So much disinfecting. Getting rid of anything soft or plush that can’t be cleaned well. Clean clean clean clean clean.
Before reopening, you need to check your ventilation and water to make sure everything is safe after having been dormant for a while. That sounds mundane. It is VERY important.
Maybe all of that sounds semi-doable. Here’s where it gets real. Small classes including the same kids and staff every day, no mixing up. Spacing seating and bedding six feet apart. As little sharing as possible (STOP SHARING, KIDS! This isn’t a confusing message at all!)
Staying in classrooms. No dining halls or game rooms. Eating in classrooms with meals on plates and prepackaged food and utensils.
Have enough supplies and equipment on hand (including art supplies and books and electronics and toys) for kids to have their own set. Keep that stuff separated. Have kids take home their stuff and wash it daily.
Avoid contact among the kids as much as possible (it specifically says avoid hugs. Have you ever been in a preschool? Hugs are like oxygen). Stagger drop off and pick-up to avoid as much contact with parents as possible.
Implement health checks like temperature screening for both staff and kids but in private spaces and complying with privacy and confidentiality laws. Keep people from coming in when they’re sick but avoid asking too many invasive questions about their health.
Sooooooo. That’s Phase 2. Phase 3 is, basically, keep as much of this in place as you can. All the best.
In all seriousness, these are thoughtful guidelines with good intentions to keep everyone as healthy as possible. I appreciate the people working on this.
Also, childcare centers and schools have so many challenges on a good day. I’m struggling with how they will have anything approaching the budget, staff, training, and cooperation from families needed to make this work.
All of which underscores how dramatically life is going to be changed for a while. How we need not rush into what’s next because what’s next is going to be hard and trying and traumatizing in its own ways. How our patience is desperately important right now.
We’ll look at some of the other guidance tomorrow (and y’all have given me some fabulous themes to work with as we try to inject a little levity into a brutal reality). Have the most corona-fine Friday you can.
