In episode 199 of the Preschool Podcast, we spoke with Andrew Roszak, Executive Director of the Institute of Childhood Preparedness, about how centers can build an actionable emergency preparedness plan in light of COVID-19. Part of this included the comprehensive guidelines that his organization created, which is a fantastic resource that we are excited to share with our community!
With such unprecedented times, centers have had little guidance from governments to turn to in order to figure out the best ways to navigate the pandemic. To help fill the gap, the Institute has prepared the Guidelines for Emergency Child Care and After-School Services. The guidelines have been developed with leadership from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Institute for Childhood Preparedness, and are intended to be used by programs providing child care for essential workers. If this describes your program, or if you are simply looking for guidelines of any sort, we highly recommend checking out this free resource.
The 28-page document contains sections on:
- Planning and coordination
- Selecting and preparing facilities
- Staffing
- Access control
- Health and safety
- Food safety
- Cleaning and disinfecting.
There are also resources like a “should my program re-open” checklist, staff training resources, and a sample daily checklist for programs.
To get a copy of the guide, click here!
