The strain of coronavirus currently in the news and causing such serious health concern is COVID-19 (the new coronavirus), initially called 2019nCoV. We understand from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that this strain spreads easily and can be fatal, most often in the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. From our understanding, there are other strains of coronavirus that have different attributes and may not be as dangerous. We are told that it is not uncommon for individuals to be diagnosed with one of these other strains of coronavirus, especially during flu season. COVID-19 is the one we are addressing on this this page.

For the latest information from the CDC, please visit:
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

CDC fact sheets:

• English - click here

• Spanish - click here

• Simplified Chinese - click here

​

Latest Guidance

Updated December 1, 2020

​

Updated Center Policy*

We are continuing to monitor the rapidly evolving public health situation around COVID-19, the new coronavirus. We have developed the following online resource for your easy reference to our current guidance. This update and all future updates will be available below.

​

At this time we are updating our prior guidance.

​

Notice to the Center
Please inform center leadership as soon as possible if you, or any family or staff member in your household, has traveled or has plans to travel to or from a CDC Level 3, or CDC Level 2 area (as designated by the Centers for Disease Control).

These designations are available on the CDC website and are updated regularly by the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html). [As of February 29, CDC Level 3 includes China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy. CDC Level 2 includes Japan.]

​

Precautionary Measures
The health and well-being of our families and staff are our highest priorities. In the interest of limiting the opportunity for transmission to our vulnerable community, we are taking the following precautionary measures:

​

• Returning Travelers – Any individual returning from any Level 3 area and any Level 2 area must remain out of the center for 14 days after returning to the U.S. This includes any individual with pick-up and/or drop-off privileges at the center. If, at the end of this 14-day period, the traveler has not experienced any symptoms, a return to the center is allowed. If the traveler has experienced symptoms, you will need to notify center leadership and obtain medical clearance before a return to the center can be allowed.

• Suspected or Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 – Any individual with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID 19 must remain out of the center until receiving medical clearance to return. This includes any individual with pick-up and/or drop-off privileges.

• Close Contacts – Individuals in the same household, including individuals who may not live in the household but may be staying there or are otherwise present in the household on a regular basis (e.g. nannies, caregivers, home health workers, contractors, etc.) are considered to be in close contact.

  1. Individuals who are in close contact with Returning Travelers must also remain out of the center for 14 days after the traveler’s return to the U.S. If, at the end of this 14-day period, the traveler has not experienced any symptoms, these individuals may return to the center. If the traveler has experienced symptoms, you will need to notify center leadership and these individuals will need to obtain medical clearance before they can return to the center.

  2. Individuals, who are in close contact with anyone having a suspected/confirmed case of COVID-19, must also remain out of our center for 14 days after the contact ceases. If, at the end of this 14-day period, these individuals have not experienced any symptoms, these individuals may return to the center. If these individuals have experienced symptoms, you will need to notify center leadership and these individuals will need to obtain medical clearance before they can return to the center.

​

Health and Hygiene Practices

Our regular health and hygiene practices provide some of the best defenses against the spread of most contagious illnesses. In addition to regular and thorough cleaning of classrooms, surfaces and toys, we teach children good hand-washing practices and ensure that children and staff take important precautions against the spread of germs.

​

You can work with your children to practice some of these same steps at home:

• Wash hands often with soap and water

• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

• Avoid kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are ill

• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, especially if someone is sick

• Sneeze or cough into your elbow; or cover mouth and nose with a tissue before sneezing or coughing, then immediately discard the tissue

 

*Employer-sponsored child care centers may have different restrictions in place. Please be sure to check with your center director for the latest guidance.

​