COVID 19 Information | Mary Poppins Daycare

Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Our staff will take everyday preventive actions to prevent the spread of respiratory illness.

Wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Remember to supervise young children when they use hand sanitizer to prevent swallowing alcohol.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
Cover cough and sneezes.
Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when you have to go out in public.
Masks should NOT be put on babies and children under age two because of the danger of suffocation.

We require sick children and staff to stay home.

We will communicate to parents the importance of keeping children home when they are sick.
Communicate to staff the importance of being vigilant for symptoms and staying in touch with facility management if or when they start to feel sick.
Establish procedures to ensure children and staff who come to the child care center sick or become sick while at your facility are sent home as soon as possible.
Keep sick children and staff separate from well children and staff until they can be sent home.
Sick staff members should not return to work until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation.

We have a plan if someone is or becomes sick.

Plan to have an isolation room or area (such as a cot in a corner of the classroom) that can be used to isolate a sick child. Additional information about isolation in related settings can be found here: isolation at home and isolation in healthcare settings.
We will be ready to follow CDC guidance on how to disinfect your building or facility if someone is sick.
If a sick child has been isolated in your facility, cleans and disinfects surfaces in your isolation room or area after the sick child has gone home.
If COVID-19 is confirmed in a child or staff member:
- Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
- Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the areas.
- Wait up to 24 hours or as long as possible before you clean or disinfect to allow respiratory droplets to settle before cleaning and disinfecting.
- Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as offices, bathrooms, and common areas.
- If more than 7 days have passed since the person who is sick visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection are not necessary.
  - Continue routine cleaning and disinfection.

Requirements or all during Parent Drop-Off and Pick-Up

Hand hygiene stations should be set up at the entrance of the facility so that children can clean their hands before they enter. If a sink with soap and water is not available, provide hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol next to parent sign-in sheets. Keep hand sanitizer out of children’s reach and supervise use. If possible, place sign-in stations outside, and provide sanitary wipes for cleaning pens between each use.
Consider staggering arrival and drop off times and plan to limit direct contact with parents as much as possible.
- Have child care providers greet children outside as they arrive.
- Designate a parent to be the drop-off/pick up volunteer to walk all children to their classroom, and at the end of the day, walk all children back to their cars.
- Infants could be transported in their car seats. Store car seat out of children’s reach.
Ideally, the same parent or designated person should drop off and pick up the child every day. If possible, older people such as grandparents or those with serious underlying medical conditions should not pick-up children, because they are more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Follow Five Steps to Wash Your Hands the Right Way

Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.

Follow these five steps every time.

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Use Hand Sanitizer When You Can’t Use Soap and Water.

You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.

Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations. However,

Sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs.
Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals from hands like pesticides and heavy metals.

Caution! Swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning if more than a couple of mouthfuls are swallowed. Keep it out of reach of young children and supervise their use.

How to Use Hand Sanitizer

Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
Rub your hands together.
Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.

Social Distancing Strategies

Work with your local health officials to determine a set of strategies appropriate for your community’s situation. Continue using preparedness strategies and consider the following social distancing strategies:

If possible, child care classes should include the same group each day, and the same child care providers should remain with the same group each day. If your child care program remains open, consider creating a separate classroom or group for the children of healthcare workers and other first responders. If your program is unable to create a separate classroom, consider serving only the children of healthcare workers and first responders.
Cancel or postpone special events such as festivals, holiday events, and special performances.
Consider whether to alter or halt daily group activities that may promote transmission.
- Keep each group of children in a separate room.
- Limit the mixing of children, such as staggering playground times and keeping groups separate for special activities such as art, music, and exercising.
- If possible, at nap time, ensure that children’s naptime mats (or cribs) are spaced out as much as possible, ideally 6 feet apart. Consider placing children head to toe in order to further reduce the potential for viral spread.
Consider staggering arrival and drop off times and/or have child care providers come outside the facility to pick up the children as they arrive. Your plan for curbside drop off and pick up should limit direct contact between parents and staff members and adhere to social distancing recommendations.
If possible, arrange for administrative staff to telework from their homes.

For more information go to https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html