ASU Child Development Learning Center

HELP PROTECT YOUR CHILD CARE CENTER FROM COVID-19

As a child care provider, you can help protect children, their families, and staff and slow the spread of COVID-19 by using CDC’s updated Guidance for Operating Child Care Programs during COVID-19. Tailor your COVID-19 plans and actions based on the unique needs of your child care center.

Actions like wearing masks properly, staying home when sick, physical distancing, frequent handwashing, cohorting, and regular and consistent cleaning and disinfecting can help all types of child care programs make spreading COVID-19 less likely.

Refer to Guidance for Operating Child Care Programs during COVID-19 for more in-depth information about preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the child care setting. This CDC guidance is meant to supplement—not replace—any Federal, state, tribal, local, or territorial public health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which child care programs must comply.

A. Drop-off/Pick-up: Stagger drop-off and pick-up times. Limit direct contact with parents, guardians or caregivers. Consider using curbside drop-off and pick-up.

B. Screen Daily for Illness: Conduct daily health screenings for anyone entering the center. Examples of screenings could include self-checks for symptoms before arriving, health questions upon arrival, and daily temperature checks.

C. Masks: Wear a mask. Everyone 2 and older should wear a well-fitting mask over their mouth and nose, except when eating or sleeping.

D. Educate Families: Educate your families about keeping their child home when they are sick, had close contact to a person with COVID-19, awaiting results, or tested positive for COVID-19.

E. Meal Times: Eat meals outdoors or in well ventilated areas while keeping physically distanced much as feasible.

F. Physical Distancing: Modify learning stations and in-classroom activities, use available space, and stagger schedules to have fewer children in each area.

G. Nap-Time: At nap time, ensure that mats or cribs are spaced out as much as possible.

H. Cleaning and Disinfecting: Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces such as toys, door handles, tables, faucets, and drinking fountains.

I. Outdoor Play: Spaces Being outdoors reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19, but preventive behaviors are still needed. Keep hand hygiene and cleaning supplies readily available.

J. Vaccination: Getting vaccinated as soon as the opportunity is available is an important way for child care providers to stay safe and reduce the risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.

K. Cohorting: Identify small groups and keep them together. If possible, child care groups should include the same children and the same child care providers each day.

L. Ventilation: Reduce concentration of virus particles indoors by increasing airflow. Consider maximizing the existing air circulation system, using child safe fans, opening doors or windows and adding HEPA air filters.

M. Shared Objects: Keep each child’s belongings separated and avoid shared objects when possible.

N. Hand Hygiene: Wash hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Thoroughly dry hands after washing. Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol (over age 2) if soap and water are not available.

O. Isolate a Sick Child: Plan to have an isolation room or an area you can use to isolate a sick child or staff member. Make sure isolated children still have adult supervision.

Click to Download a copy of the CDC Quick Guide

A GUIDE FOR PHYSICAL DISTANCING IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOM 2021

Many agree that younger children need to be in a classroom with a teacher to learn concepts and achieve the early learning standards. During this time children need to be physically distanced as much as possible, which will be a challenging task for teachers in the classroom. It is important to remember to be flexible and to check guidance regularly during these uncertain times. In this document, you will find tips to help follow guidance by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) around physical distancing in the classroom. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also offers guidance for early childhood classrooms. Please see the resource links at the end of this document.

Procedures for Educators and Administrators:
Create EXTRA floor space by removing some furniture, spacing furniture differently to create individual and cohort spaces, and spacing out chairs in the classroom. Teachers should model and have conversations about how to leave chairs and furniture in their assigned space in the classroom. Cohorting children together in a small group and having each group stay together throughout an entire day can be used to limit the number of children and staff who come in contact with each other, especially when it is challenging to maintain physical distancing.

Create INDIVIDUAL spaces for children with furniture or painter’s tape to construct their special area while still being able to see each other. Specialize the area with materials the child likes and will need. Examples of needed supplies would be several books, paper, crayons, trucks, blocks, personal sensory bin, animals, and access to a table. Plan activities that children can do individually but have conversations with each other during their individual play. Teachers will need to model how children can play individually while remaining in their space. Teachers need to encourage open conversations between children while they play in their space.

Create traffic PATTERNS and visual CUES to show children where to sit, how far three feet apart is, and the traffic flow of the room. Use stickers, dots on the floor, or signs to show children this information.

Consider creating an OUTDOOR classroom by setting up learning centers in a safe area on the playground or on school grounds. Providing a classroom outdoors will help expend children’s energy, create a new and exciting classroom, and offer a new avenue of learning.

Conduct DEMONSTRATIONS with “airplane arms” to physically distance. Other demonstrations such as measuring three feet with yard sticks or measuring tape will be helpful.

LIMIT large group activities and ensure snack, mealtimes, and naptime are distanced. Serve snacks with one to four children at a time, group children in smaller groups for lunch, and place cots at least three feet away from others. As hard as it will be, limit touching children to essential care needs.

Practice SAFETY precautions by maximizing physical distancing when interacting with parents, have children immediately wash their hands, and find their assigned space that is a safe distance from their classmates. Have children wash their hands throughout the day. Children can get a stamp on their hand while working on a project and after they complete the activity, they wash their hands so well that they wash the stamp mark off so they can get another one. Check the child’s temperature before entering the room and continue this practice throughout the day.

Remember the EARLY LEARNING GUIDELINES when planning re-entry to school. It will be tough trying to find a balance to make the magic work in an early learning classroom, but the guidelines should be followed.

*Information provided by the Mississippi Department of Education.

Click here to download a copy of the Guide for Physical Distancing