More and more licensed childcare centres are gearing up to re-open after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve all been following the guidelines of physical distancing, mask wearing, and frequent handwashing given by health officials to flatten the curve.
But you may have questions about what precautions and measures various centres are taking to ensure the health and safety of children, families, and staff. Here are some questions you need to consider when getting ready to return to care.
Protocols and Procedures
You should ask:
- What amendments have been made to existing policies?
- Has the program been required to develop any new policies based on enhanced health and safety protocols?
- Will be required to sign off on new policy forms when returning to care?
- What will health screening look like?
- What will happen in the event that a staff, parent, or child becomes ill or has symptoms of COVID-19?
- What if my child has a pre-existing medical condition where the symptoms appear similar to those of COVID-19?
Outbreak Management
You should ask:
- If a potential COVID-19 case has been identified within the program, what are the protocols in place to manage the outbreak?
- Will parents be notified of an outbreak?
- If a child develops COVID-19 related symptoms while at the program, what actions will be taken to ensure the health and safety of the child and everyone else on site?
- What will re-entry into care look like for previously ill children and staff?
Programming & Curriculum
You should ask:
- What will learning look like with physical distancing in place?
- How will my child stay engaged?
- What will the classroom setup look like?
- What types of toys and materials will be available?
- Can I send any toys and materials from home with my child?
- Will sensory play be available for my child?
Physical Distancing Measures
You should ask:
- What are cohorts?
- How will educators ensure safety when physical distancing is not possible, e.g., diapering or feeding
- How will be physical distancing be encouraged within the classroom with my child and his/her peers?
- Will educators be able to console my crying child if they need to be held?
- How will physical distancing be implemented when children are outside on the playground?
General Sanitary Precautions
You should ask:
- What new sanitary practices are in place based on the local Public Health recommendations?
- will educators be wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
- If my child is over 2, will they be using sanitizer?
- Will my child be required to wear mask?
- What disinfectant will be used on toys and surfaces?
- How often will sanitization occur?
- Will I be able to leave my child’s stroller on the premises?
- If I take my child’s blanket home, will I have to return it washed the following day?
- Have procedures changed with restocking diapers and wipes?
- How should items be sanitized when brought into the program?
- Do I need to provide my own sunscreen?
- Will the educators be applying sunscreen and what steps will be taken when doing so?
You may still have some anxiety about going back to childcare, and understandably so.
For now, COVID-19 will be part of our “new normal” and you should feel comfortable asking as many questions as possible to make an informed decision about returning to care.
