Choosing a Childcare Center During COVID-19
Many parents are returning to work and in need of high-quality care for their children. It is surely a challenging time for parents of young children. Choosing a childcare center is always a big decision, but during the COVID-19 pandemic there are more factors to consider.
Ensuring their child is in a healthy environment is a concern of every parent. Therefore, we have included a checklist of COVID-19 related questions for parents to ask prospective centers.
Checklist for Parents:
- Does the center screen children and staff for symptoms?
All children and staff entering the center should be screened daily to ensure they are symptom free. Ensuring that individuals with symptoms are excluded from the center is the first defense in maintaining a healthy center.
- What is the center’s daily cleaning protocol?
Centers should clean and disinfect high touch areas frequently during the day.
- Have the staff been trained on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their classroom?
All staff should be trained in identifying symptoms of COVID-19 as well as action steps to take when a child in their classroom exhibits symptoms. They must also understand how to minimize the spread of germs through regular cleaning and disinfecting as well as handwashing.
- What are the centers policies regarding COVID-19?
Every center should have written policies in line with CDC recommendations regarding how they handle COVID-19 related issues for parents and staff.
Resources
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-childcare.html
