COVID-19 PROTOCOL CHANGES
We will be setting up three separate classrooms to accommodate three separate groups of 8-9 children (depending on age). The school age kids will be in their normal room.
Footwear:
Children will need an indoor pair of shoes that stays in their bin. These shoes cannot go home at all during the duration of the pandemic.
Meals:
We have been asked to avoid serving food to the children at this time. So, parents must provide a healthy lunch and two snacks for their child(ren) each day please. All food must be nut free.
Please do not send items that need to be heated. Please ensure everything is labelled (lunch kit, containers, etc.). Please use an ice pack to keep cold items cool. Please also ensure you pack proper cutlery.
Children’s lunch kit and water bottle will go in their cubby to avoid contact.
Sanitizing:
Enhanced sanitization will take place on a daily basis. Frequently touched surfaces will be wiped down several times per day. Toys will be sanitized daily (as per Alberta Health Services Guidelines). Anything with soft surfacing will be put into storage.
Field Trips:
We have been asked to suspend field trips until further notice. This includes walks around the community.
Outdoor Play:
We plan on having additional time outdoors, as this allows children to naturally social distance from one another and because outside time is wonderful in general! Any shared play equipment will be sanitized prior to new groups using the space.
Visitors:
Non-essential visitors will not be allowed in the space until further notice.
Hand Sanitizer:
There will be hand sanitizer made available at the entrances should supplies permit, however, it is recommended that children not use sanitizer, but wash their hands instead.
Sick Children:
As per Alberta Health guidelines, we will have to exclude any child or staff member that has cold symptoms or other COVID-19 related symptoms until they are tested. If results are negative, they are welcome to return when symptoms have improved. If a child has allergies, asthma, etc that give them cold like symptoms – we will need to see that a COVID test comes back negative before they will be able to attend (as per Alberta Health). We have to be very strict with this illness policy.
NO SICK CHILDREN WILL BE PERMITTED – NO EXCEPTIONS!
Travel:
Families are encouraged to avoid all non-essential travel. Should a family decide to travel outside of Canada, they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return. Should any signs of illness present themselves, you may not return for 10 days or until the symptoms have improved – whichever period is longer (as per Alberta Health).
Masks:
Masks will not be required as per Alberta Health. We also do not feel the children will be able to meet the requirements for proper mask use. Staff members who are screening families as they arrive will be asked to wear masks.
Staff have been trained on mask use and have the option to wear them at their own discretion.
More on proper mask use here: https://www.alberta.ca/prevent-the-spread.aspx#p25621s4
Personal Items:
Each child needs to bring a backpack to store all items such as (sunscreen, bug spray, hat, water bottle, change of clothes etc.) that will remain at the daycare. These items must be labelled. Any dirty clothing will be put into a bag for parents to take home at the end of the day.
Other personal items from home are not permitted at the centre at this time. This means no stuffies, blankets, electronics, toys, books, etc.
Enrolment:
We are going to do the best we can to get everyone back to the centre when they are ready. However, we are at the mercy of the Government. We were told Phase 1 would be 2-3 weeks, as long as there are no major outbreaks. We are hopeful this will be the case!
Temperature:
We will take children’s temperature at drop-off and after nap/lunch time or if there is any indication a child is not feeling well. If the child has a temperature and a runny nose, the child will be isolated and parents will be called to pick up the child immediately. We will report all symptoms to Alberta Health Services.
Social Distancing:
While social distancing is clearly going to be difficult for children, we do have plans in place to assist this process as much as possible:
- All children will stay in the same group, in the same room each day with their assigned teacher(s).
- There will be limits to the amount of children that can play in one area at a time (depending on size of area).
- Children will be socially distanced at tables during meal times and during any table activities.
- Circle time mats will be used to mark where children are to sit when reading stories and such.
- Item sharing will be limited. Teachers will strive to offer activities where each child has their own tools to use for cutting, gluing, painting, etc. These will be disinfected after use.
- Water play and certain types of sensory play will be discontinued until further notice. We are considering individual play dough kits for the kids. We will need to see how this works out as it may get harder as we accept more children.
- Minimize time standing in lines and ensure children are distanced as much as possible, while ensuring their safety.
We cannot wait to have our little (and big) friends back at our centre! We look forward to getting back to some sense of normalcy and providing your family with a safe place to play and learn.
Thank you and see you soon!
COVID-19 CLOSURE
Dear Parents,
The Daycare and OSC are closed effective immediately due to an announcement made by the Government of Alberta at 4:30pm of March 15, 2020 to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The Government announcement states the following:
“All licensed child care, out-of-school care programs and preschool programs in Alberta are closed at this time”
Please see the following link for more information regarding the closure and how to prevent the spread.
https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause. We know how sudden this is and that it will be a significant disruption to your lives. However, the health and safety of our children, families, and staff is our top priority. We will be monitoring the situation closely and will update you as soon as we have further information.
– Daycare and OSC Management