Planning To Reopen - Phase 2 Child Programs Minimum Requirements, Part 2

6/12/2020 (Permalink)

As the we continue to advance through the second phase of Governor Charlie Baker's plan to reopen the Commonwealth it becomes increasingly important to develop guidelines that focus on the health ans safety of  our communities while allowing for the needs of families with children to be met. The state has set forth guidance for reopening child and youth programs during Phase 2. 

As always, work with your local health officials to determine a set of strategies appropriate for your community’s situation.

(See our "Planning to Reopen series of blogs for more information regarding CDC, EPA, FDA, and OSHA safety requirements). To review the administration's reopening guidance from the state click here. To view Governor Baker's full report click here).

Minimum Requirements - Planning

These requirements apply to all child and youth-serving programs, including recreational summer programs, recreational summer camps for children, municipal or recreational youth programs not traditionally licensed as camps, family child care, and center-based child care. Programs should also check the CDC website regularly to make sure that they are following the latest CDC guidance. 

Programs that are unable to adhere to the following requirements must remain closed and reopen at a later date.

Preparing

Programs must prepare the program environment to promote the new health and safety requirements and to facilitate infection control activities.

1. Prepare the materials and equipment to be used by children to minimize sharing and promote distancing. Remove items that cannot be easily washed (e.g., stuffed animals, pillows) or that encourage children to put the toy in their mouths (e.g., play food, pretend utensils). If programs allow children to bring in items from home, they should have a plan in place to ensure the cleanliness of these items and should carefully monitor use to ensure that these objects are not shared between children. Shared items that cannot be cleaned or disinfected at all (e.g., playdough) must be removed from activity rotation. Remove all communal water, sand, and sensory tables and activities that bring children in close proximity with each other using shared materials.
2. Prepare all cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting solutions and identify a safe place for storage that is accessible to staff in each area of the program, but out of reach of children. Ensure that supplies for hand hygiene are adequate and placed appropriately throughout the program space, including in all group, transition (e.g., hallways), and common spaces.
3. Prepare the program space to promote physical distancing. Programs must consider the physical building capacity limitations and the total number of children anticipated to be in any one area. Decisions about organization of the program space must be guided by the program’s ability to implement adequate and consistent physical distancing, especially in terms of utilization of common spaces that need to be shared by all children. Areas occupied by individual groups must be defined by permanent walls, movable walls, or other partitions. Programs with large spaces must consider using barriers to create clearly defined and separate areas for small groups of children. Program staff must review the physical distancing requirements for children in the program and be prepared to support children with adjustment to new systems and routines.
4. Ensure that there are adequate provisions for the storage of child and staff belongings so that they do not touch.
5. Close drinking fountains that require contact for use. Motion activated or touchless drinking fountains are acceptable for use only when filling cups, water bottles, or other receptacles. 
6. Ensure that ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible by opening windows and doors, using fans (must be inaccessible to young children), and other methods. Do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk (e.g., allows pollen in or exacerbates asthma symptoms) to children using the facility. In rooms located above the first floor, windows must be either inaccessible to children or protected with a window guard. 
7. Take steps to ensure that all water systems and features (e.g., cooling systems) are safe to use after a prolonged facility shutdown to minimize the risk of Legionnaires’ disease and other diseases associated with water.

While the administration continues to work with communities to implement best practices and protocols we will continue to share with you guidance from the CDC, FDA, OSHA and the Governor's office to follow as we prepare for reopening. Also, we at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley know that not every business has access to the resources necessary to meet these strict guidelines. For those businesses, we are here to help!

Certified SERVPRO Clean

The Disaster Remediation Teams at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley are specialists in cleaning services and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards. We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work of "normal daily cleaning". Call SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley today for a free consultation - (617) 332-9000.

All of us here at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley want you and your loved ones to stay safe and know that we will make it through this together! Rest assured, we will continue to do our best to keep you up-to-date and informed!