Planning To Reopen - Phase 2 Child Programs Minimum Requirements, Part 14

7/2/2020 (Permalink)

There are many support systems that must be inplace to successfully reopen the state of Massachusetts. One of the essential support systems that must be ready for Governor Charlie Baker's plan to reopen the Commonwealth is child care and youth programs. This blog highlights the administration's preparation minimum requirements as well as additional strategies for reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission and required activity limitation for recreational camps and programs as outlined in Governor Charlie Baker's administration's guidelines for reopening child and youth programs.

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).

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. As more is learned about the virus guidelines are updated accordingly. Those charged with planning to reopen child and youth programs should check the both the Massachusetts department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the CDC website regularly to make sure that they are following the latest guidance. 

Programs that are unable to must make the following changes to their operations or remain closed and reopen at a later date.

Preparing for Recreational Camps and Programs

Program managers and staff of recreational camps and programs permitted to operate during the current phase must prepare the camp environment to promote the new health and safety requirements and to facilitate infection control activities.

1. Contact facility management and other programs sharing facility space to discuss if and how new requirements can be implemented and plan to address any challenges.
2. Prepare the materials and equipment to be used by children to minimize sharing and promote physical distancing.
3. Shared items that cannot be cleaned or disinfected must be removed from activity rotation.
4. Prepare all cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting solutions and store them in a locked closet or compartment that is accessible to staff in each area of the camp, but inaccessible to campers.
5. Ensure that supplies for hand hygiene are adequate, accessible, and placed appropriately throughout the camp space.
6. Prepare the camp space to ensure physical distancing required by the phase are met.
   1. Camps must consider physical building capacity limitations and the total number of children anticipated to be in any one area throughout the day and during inclement weather.
   2. Decisions about organization of the camp space must be guided by the camp’s ability to implement adequate and consistent physical distancing, especially in terms of utilization of common spaces that need to be shared by campers and staff.
   3. Camp enrollment must be based on the number of individuals that may be housed in an emergency. Emergency shelter occupancy shall have sufficient space to provide 6 ft. of separation between individuals.
7. Program managers must increase staffing to ensure supervision of campers in the case of potential need for quarantine of staff with symptoms or illness as well as supervising youth with symptoms. Refer to Healthcare Personnel:Occupational Exposure & Return to Work Guidance for requirements on quarantine and returning to employment..
8. Recreational camps must ensure a minimum of 2 properly trained Health Care Supervisors are present at all times at camp in the event a camper becomes symptomatic while at camp. 
9. Staff members age 65 or older or with serious underlying health conditions should assess their risk to determine if they should stay home or follow additional precautions.
10. Ensure that there are adequate provisions for the storage of children and staff belongings so that they do not touch.
11. Ensure that ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible by opening windows and doors, using fans, and other methods unless doing so creates a hazard.
12. Ensure 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.

Additional Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Transmission for Recreational Camps and Programs

In addition to the strategies highlighted in one of our previous blogs (click here to view) program managers and staff of recreational camps and programs must apply these additional guidelines.

1. Camp cohorts may not exceed maximum group size in place at the time of operations. Cohorts must not be combined at any time.
2. The same staff member must be assigned to the same group of children each day for the duration of the program session (if weekly or monthly) and at all times while in care.
3. Staff must not float between groups either during the day or from day-to-day, unless needed to provide supervision of specialized activities such as swimming, boating, archery, or firearms, or to provide staff with breaks.
4. Camps may not congregate staff/campers in a way that does not allow for six feet of physical distancing between individuals.
5. Staff should limit their contact with one another unless they are in the same cohort.
6. Staff meetings should be conducted remotely, when possible.
7. Camps may need to stagger the use of communal spaces in order to ensure physical distancing requirements. For example, camps must add extra meal shifts if necessary to maintain physical distancing and maximum group sizes in the dining hall or dining area.
8. Camps must monitor all individuals that staff and children come into contact with during the course of the camp day in the potential case of exposure.
9. While all camps serving youth and children must designate an isolation room or space, camps must prepare for the possibility of needing to isolate multiple campers. If possible, camps must create multiple, separate isolation rooms and spaces so symptomatic individuals can also physical distance from each other.

Activity Limitations for Recreational Camps and Programs

Program managers and staff must ensure that all activities are conducted in accordance with physical distancing, masking and sanitation requirements and following the guidance below.

1. All sports activities must follow applicable Standards for Businesses and Other Entities Providing Outdoor Adult Sports Supervised Youth Sports Leagues, Summer Sports Camps.
2. Minimize equipment sharing, and clean and disinfect shared equipment (such as balls and pucks) and at the end of each activity by products recommended by the CDC.
3. Personal equipment, such as helmets and pads, shall not be shared.
4. Activities should be outside when possible.
5. Camps can use their own, private, swimming pools and beach front in accordance with guidance.
6. Camps may not use community pools or beaches.
7. Campers must use their own dedicated personal floatation devices which camps may provide.
8. Camp operators that supply Personal Floatation Devices (PFD) to campers must clean and disinfect the PFD in accordance with US Coast Guard guidance.
9. Camps may not take campers on field trips or for other offsite travel.

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!

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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! Rest assured, we will continue to do our best to keep you up-to-date and informed!