SSFNC resumed our in-person, onsite Early Childhood Education program in August of 2020. Here are the measures we are taking to assure safety and health.

Plan for Washing hands:

  1. Students and staff will wash their hands upon arrival, after sneezing, coughing, or blowing their noses, before and after mealtimes, and after coming in from outside. Hand sanitizer, containing at least 60% alcohol will be used during outdoor play when needed.
  2. Teachers will include hand washing into their daily routines as necessary for their group. Hand washing will be supervised and teachers will demonstrate proper hand washing technique.

Plan for Cleaning and Disinfecting:

  1. High touch surfaces and items will be cleaned and sanitized multiple times throughout the day. All classroom toys will be sanitized after students leave each day and soft items in the classroom will be washed in the washing machine and dried at high heat.
  2. To minimize the risk associated with shared writing/art supplies, each child will have an art bag labeled with their name.
  3. Each classroom will have a bin for toys/materials that need to be removed for later cleaning and disinfecting. All laundry and toy bins will also be cleaned and sanitized daily.
  4. Procedure for cleaning and disinfecting after suspected or confirmed exposure to someone with Covid-19:
    • Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
    • Companies do not necessarily need to close operations, if they can close off affected areas.
    • Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.
    • Wait 24 hours before you clean or disinfect. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
    • Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines.
    • Vacuum the space if needed. Use vacuum equipped with high-efficiency particular air (HEPA) filter, if available.
    • Do not vacuum a room or space that has people in it. Wait until the room or space is empty to vacuum, such as at night, for common spaces, or during the day for private rooms.
    • Once area has been appropriately disinfected, it can be opened for use.

Plan for Arrival and Departure:

  1. Most students will be picked up using SSFNC buses. Siblings will sit next to each other and students from individual households will be spread out in seats to maintain social distancing. Temperature and symptom checks will happen before students board the bus each day.
  2. Parents dropping students off will do so outside the building one at a time. Temperature and symptom checks will be done before students enter the building each day. Students will wash hands upon arrival.
  3. Staff will do a temperature and symptom check upon arrival each day.
  4. During departure, children who were bussed in will return to their same seat on the same bus they came to school on. Students getting picked up will stay in their classroom until their caregiver arrives.
  5. Staff will utilize one of four exits to the building.

Plan for Sick Student, Staff, or Volunteer:

  1. Students, staff, and volunteers will be screened for symptoms and have their temperatures checked each day.
  2. Contact with volunteers will only occur outside.
  3. Staff and families in our program will receive a copy of the exclusion guidelines and stay home when they are sick. They will not return until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation.
  4. If someone becomes sick with COVID like symptoms we will do the following:
    • 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.
    • We will follow CDC guidance on how to disinfect our building or facility if someone is sick.
    • If a sick child has been isolated in our facility, we will clean and disinfect surfaces in the isolation room or area after the sick child has gone home.
  5. If COVID-19 is confirmed in a child or staff member we will do the following:
    • 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 is not necessary.
    • We will continue routine cleaning and disinfection.
    • In the event of a possible exposure or a positive case, families and staff will be notified as soon as possible. The program director will communicate the information all staff and volunteers and our team of home visitors will communicate the information to the families in our program.

Plan for Social Distancing:

  1. Our program has low child to teacher ratios and students stay in the same classroom, with the same teachers each day.
  2. To promote social distancing, we have implemented different colored zones in each classroom to give students visual cues.
  3. Group time will be done outside whenever possible. If it is being done inside, a space will be indicated for each child to maintain social distancing.
  4. During meal times, students will be spaced out at the table to maintain social distancing.
  5. Our program does not have a nap or rest time.

Plan for Face Coverings:

  1. Anyone who is in the building will be required to wear a cloth face covering.
  2. Caregivers will be asked to remain outside during pick up and drop off to minimize exposure for everyone.
  3. We will have a supply of masks that can be used by children and staff in the program.
  4. Staff will encourage students to wear their masks while also taking each child’s individual needs and development into consideration as to what is appropriate.