There have been 202 cases of Covid-19 and no deaths among child care staff, children and parents and guardians as of June 4, according to the California Department of Social Services. It is unclear whether child care is particularly high-risk for spreading Covid-19. “I can’t leave a crying child on their own,” Carpenter said. The government doesn’t have a realistic view of what that looks like.”Ĭarolyn Carpenter, who runs Bloomers Preschool out of her home in Oakland, said she held one 2-year-old girl on her lap for two hours on her first day back because the child was crying so much after being home for two and a half months. “We’re here to nurture and care for children. They may need to cuddle a little because they feel afraid, or they’re having a moment,” said Vernetta Buckner, who runs a family child care program in her home in Richmond. “That’s the whole key - we are making your child have a home away from home. Providers say they may be able to wear gloves to change diapers or help children go to the toilet, but there are many other situations in which they need to touch or comfort children. “It’s interesting to see that they’re making different choices than they typically would play with.”īut not touching or hugging at all is impractical when caring for young children. They know if they sit across the table from a friend, they can both play with Legos, but not sitting side by side,” Smith said. “They’ve actually chosen a lot more manipulatives lately and art materials because they want to interact. Site supervisor Rachel Smith said teachers have explained to the preschoolers why the new guidelines exist, and children are finding new ways to play together. Inside, only one child is allowed at a time in the area where they can build with blocks and the dramatic play area, where children used to play together with dolls or pretend to cook in a kitchen. Teachers are trying to minimize hugging, so each morning they ask their students to choose how they want their teacher to say hello - with an air high five, an air hug or a thumbs up.Ĭhildren can’t climb on the play structure outside anymore, so instead they are spending time taking care of plants and watching a hummingbird make a nest in a tree. After they are done playing, they put the toys they played with in another bin for the teachers to disinfect later. Toys have to be sanitized after being used, and hands should be washed throughout the day.Īt the Menifee Child Development Center in Riverside County, children choose what they want to play with each morning and put it in their own bin. Adults and children older than 2 years old should wear masks, if possible. Even within those small groups, the guidelines recommend teachers try to keep children six feet away from each other when possible, using string, tape or furniture to mark off areas for children to play alone. Children have to be kept in small groups of 10 or fewer, and the same group of children has to be kept with the same teachers every day. The new public health guidelines call for staff and children’s temperatures to be checked every morning before they enter. Staff from the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division, which oversees child care programs, are holding video calls with providers to see how they are following the guidelines and to give advice and suggestions. In order to reopen, child care facilities have to submit a plan that shows how they will follow new health and safety guidelines from the California Department of Public Health, county departments of public health and the California Department of Social Services to lower the risk of spreading Covid-19 among staff, children and their families. When the state first ordered residents to shelter in place, child care was allowed only for essential workers, but now all children can attend. Soto and other preschool and child care providers are finding creative ways to keep their programs as safe as possible, while also meeting children’s developmental needs. “All their years here, we’ve been teaching them to work together, play together,” said Gerardo Soto, site supervisor at the Lindbergh Child Development Center, which serves children ages 2 to 5 in Costa Mesa in Orange County.
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