How are we keeping your child safe?

 

Covid-19 and Knowing how it spreads​

• The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.

  • Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

  • Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.

  • These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

  • Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.

Everyone Should

Wash your hands often

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

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

Avoid close contact

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, even inside your home. If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.

• Put distance between yourself and other people outside of your home.

  • Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.

  • Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people.

  • Do not gather in groups.

  • Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings.

  • Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others

• You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.

• Everyone should wear a face cover when they have to go out in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities.​

• The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.

• Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.

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Cover coughs and sneezes

• If you are in a private setting and do not have on your cloth face covering, remember to always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.

• Throw used tissues in the trash.

• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

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Clean and disinfect

• Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.

• If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

• Then, use a household disinfectant. Most common EPA-registered household disinfectants will work.

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COVID 19 RESPONSE and MONITORING SYMPTOMS:

Parent/child arrivals must be staggered, please wait in your vehicle until you know the entryway is free for your child to enter. If staff or a child has a fever or a cough, we will follow the recommendation of the CDC.  At this time, they recommend that children be fever free (WITHOUT fever reducing medication) for 72 hours before returning to care, even if other symptoms are not present.

 

ISOLATION:

If any staff or a child in attendance test positive for COVID-19, Sunny Days will close, be deep cleaned, and everyone should be in quarantine for 10 days. We will contact my local health department for guidance and best practices. If a child presents symptoms while in care, I will contact the parents, isolate the child, and make them comfortable until the parents to arrive.

 

COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL:

Sunny Days will notify every parent about any and all illness. All families are required to do the same.

 

SOCIAL DISTANCING:

Social distancing children will be done by spending more time outside, one child in the bathroom at a time, and nap mats will be 6 ft apart or more.

 

HYGIENE/CLEANING/DISINFECTING:

Sunny Days will continue, as we always have, teaching all children to cover coughs and sneeze in their elbows and to wash their hands properly after using a tissue.  We’ve removed hard to clean toys. I’ve asked that all comfort items remain in the parent’s vehicle, no toys from home are allowed in, just as we have always requested.  Common areas receive a daily deep clean (for example, sinks, bathrooms, doorknobs, tabletops, handrails and shared items). We have a bucket set aside for toys that become contaminated during play and we’ll disinfect/sanitize them as well as other toys during nap time or after hours, daily.

 

SAFETY EQUIPMENT:

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COVID-19

All staff are required to wear a mask. All children over the age of 2 are suggested to wear a mask.

Screening and Admittance 

Persons that have a fever of 100.4 (38.00C) or above or other signs of illness shall not be admitted to Sunny Days Preschool. As parents, please be on the alert for signs of illness in your children and  keep them home when they are sick.

 

As a licensed center, we  include the information collected during the screening process in the daily log report to the Office of Licensing. 

 

If children, staff, or parents develop COVID-19 or symptoms:

 

Staff or children with a fever of 100.4 F or higher, cough, or shortness of breath should be excluded from childcare centers and stay away from others. Children with household members who are known to have COVID-19 should also be excluded from the centers.

   

• If a child or staff member develops symptoms of COVID-19 while at the facility (e.g. fever of 100.4 or higher, cough, shortness of breath), we will immediately separate them from the well people until the ill person can leave the facility.

 

•If the child has symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g. fever, cough, shortness of breath), the caregiver waiting with the child should remain as far away as safely possible from the child (6 feet).

 

• If symptoms persist or worsen, call your health care provider for further guidance. Advise the employee or child’s parent or caregiver to inform the facility immediately if the person is diagnosed with COVID-19. 

 

Children or staff members who test positive for COVID-19

• If we learn of a COVID positive case within Sunny Days, we will contact the  local health department for guidance. See www.localhealth.nj.gov for contact information.

• If Sunny Days has a confirmed case of COVID-19 among our population, we may close   temporarily (e.g., for 10 days - or longer if advised by health officials). The duration may be dependent on staffing levels, outbreak levels in the community and severity of illness in the infected individual.

Symptom-free children and staff should not attend or work at another facility during the closure. 

 

If an individual believes they have had close contact to someone with COVID-19 but are not currently sick, they should monitor their health for fever, cough, and shortness of breath during the 14 days after the last day they were in close contact with the sick person with COVID-19. They should not go to work or childcare and should avoid public places for 14 days.

 

Payment: If the school closes due to governor mandate, then you are still required to pay to finish the month. If you have to be quarantined, you are required to pay, regardless, without discount.

 

Illness Policy at our school

 

Sunny Days on Main

WELL CARE FACILITY

 

We ask all parents to please be mindful of sick children. We ask all parents to refrain from sending in sick children--this will help to keep our center healthy! The policy states that your child must be symptom free for 24 hours before they can return to the center. If your child has a fever, vomiting or diarrhea they cannot be at the center. Also, please remember coughs and colds can also make for a rough day. Please DO NOT medicate your child and send them to school. 

 

In addition, children that have asthma, please make sure you have given us any medication your child needs throughout the day and have signed a medication permission form allowing us to administer medication.

 

Please use good judgement when making your decision to send or not send your child to school for the day.

 

Lastly, any child sent home for an illness must adhere to the 24 hour illness policy. A child sent home with an illness cannot return to the center for the 24 hour period or until the child no longer exhibits symptoms. Example, if a child is sent home on a Tuesday-the earliest your child can return to the center is Thursday-as long as they are 24 hour symptom free. Violations of this policy will not be accepted and your child will not be allowed to return to the center earlier. Please remember-this is the best defense in combating and eliminating the threat of this virus.

 

At the center we continue to disinfect and clean each day. I am asking my staff to do an additional cleaning/disinfecting during the day. Throughout the center we have posted a preventative flyer from the CDC (shown in .pdf below).

 

We have also asked all parents to bring in additional tissues and antibacterial wipes for their child's classroom. Thank you to the parents that have contributed so far.

 

Communicable Diseases and Exclusion Requirements

If a child has been detected with the diseases listed below, a DOCTOR’S NOTE is required to return to school and the following steps need to be taken:

• CHICKEN POX (VARICELLA):  The child may return to school 7 days after the rash begins or when all the chicken pox blisters have formed scabs.

• PINK EYE (CONJUNCTIVITIS):  The child must be sent home from school if pink eye is suspected. The child may return to school. If positively diagnosed, 24 hours after starting the antibiotic.

• HAND-FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE (COX SACKIE):  Notify the school of infection. Children will not be able to attend the center with rashes that are not dried or scabbed over. Children also must be 24 hour fever free before returning to the center.

• LICE (PEDICULOSIS):  If lice are identified in school, the child will be sent home immediately. The child may return to school once treatment is completed. The entire school will be checked.

• RINGWORM:  Lesion must be covered if the child is in school and has not yet begun treatment. If treatment has been started and the lesion is shrinking, the child may return to school without any lesion coverage.

• SCABIES:  The child will be excluded from school for 24 hours after treatment has been completed.

• IMPETIGO:  The child will be excluded for 24 hours after treatment has begun and the lesion(s) no longer have a discharge. Classroom desktops should be thoroughly cleaned and any toys that are generally shared among other children should be disinfected. Children will not be able to attend the center with rashes that have not yet dried or scabbed over.

• STREP INFECTIONS: The child must be excluded for 48 hours after beginning antibiotic therapy and 24 hour fever free.

• FIFTH DISEASE: The child is no longer contagious once the rash breaks out. Diagnosis of the disease is primarily made once the rash appears. The school should be notified of this infection. Children cannot attend the center if the rash is an open sore and has not dried up or scabbed over.

• COMMON COLD AND MISCELLANEOUS ILLNESSES:  The child MUST be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school following any illness. If your child was sent home because of diarrhea, vomiting, or fever they MAY NOT return to school the next day. The MUST be kept home until they are 24 hours symptom free.