The coronavirus pandemic has certainly changed our lives forever. But life is moving forward. People are working from home, children are learning remotely, and many are wearing masks out in public to prevent the spread of the virus.
But what about daycares? Is it safe to let your child go to daycare while COVID-19 is still a threat? The answer is: it depends.
What You Need to Consider
Recent studies show that the risk of coronavirus transmission at daycares is low, but before you decide to send your child back to a daycare, consider:
Where you live
The effect that the coronavirus has had on your particular community can help you determine whether or not you should send your child to daycare. If you live in an area where cases are spiking and community spread is severe, you may want to err on the side of caution and keep your child at home. But if community spread is low where you live, the risk is likewise lower for the virus to be spread at a child care center.
The overall health of your child and other family members
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children and adolescents are less likely to become infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus compared to adults. Certain populations of adults are considered high-risk, especially people with preexisting conditions and the elderly. However, your child may fall into a high-risk category, so it’s important to carefully consider your child’s medical history and any preexisting conditions that may weaken their immune system. Don’t forget to account for anyone else in your immediate household who may be more susceptible to coronavirus infection.
Whether your child’s daycare center is maintaining proper health protocols
Of course, before you determine if it’s safe to send your child to daycare, you’ll want to find out if the child care center is doing everything in their power to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Naturally, the decision to seek child care outside of the home is a tough one and shouldn’t be made lightly. Luckily, there are daycares in New Jersey that are focused on mitigating risks and taking extra precautions to ensure that their spaces are safe for your little ones.
What Are Some COVID-19 Safety Protocols Daycares in New Jersey Are Following?
Guidelines regarding safety and health protocols for daycares come from the CDC as well as a host of local government agencies, such as the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. If you’re concerned about whether or not it’s safe to send your child to daycare, don’t be afraid to reach out to a facility’s administrative staff and ask questions.
In general, your daycare or preschool should be following these main protocols:
Intensive cleaning and disinfection procedures that ensure the proper sanitization of all surfaces and high-touch areas; this also includes sanitizing toys, equipment, and supplies between each use
Increasing a focus on handwashing and other good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of germs
Regularly checking and monitoring the temperatures and symptoms of both children and staff; a fever is considered to be 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
Wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks; ideally, all adults should be wearing masks and they should encourage children 2 years old and older to wear them as well
Assigning a staff member and a small number of children to groups or classrooms that consistently stay together
Adhering to head-to-toe napping procedures without masks (to prevent suffocation) and socially distanced snack and meal times
Staggering drop-off and pick-up procedures and completing exchanges outside or in isolated indoor areas; parents and guardians should wear face coverings during the exchange
You Can Trust Cresthill Academy
At Cresthill Academy, we understand that protecting your family is of the utmost importance. That’s why we take the health and safety of your child very seriously, and always have, even before the pandemic.
Cresthill Academy is carefully following and exceeding the COVID-19 health and safety guidelines put forth by the CDC, child care licensing agencies, local government health agencies, and other experts at all of our New Jersey daycares. We’ve implemented tremendous methods of cleaning and sanitizing, including the use of ActivePure® Air Purifying & Sanitizing Technology, atomizing fogger machines, clean room sticky mats, PPE, and more.
Our commitment to maintaining rigorous standards during this unprecedented public health event prompted the state of New Jersey to certify our East Hanover location as a Certified Emergency Childcare Center. This distinction allowed Cresthill Academy to remain open from March through June 2020 and serve the families of front-line health care workers.
Cresthill Academy is New Jersey’s premier organic child care center, and we’re doing whatever it takes to make it safe for your child to come to our daycare. To learn more about us, contact us today. We offer a variety of day care programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners with locations in Harrison, Hoboken Uptown, Hoboken Downtown, East Hanover, and Lyndhurst, New Jersey.