COVID-19 Safety Plan
Environmental Measures
Outdoor Spaces and Ventilation
• The Centre take children outside often, including for learning activities, snack time and play time.
• Activities are organized in a thoughtful way, taking into consideration all personal relevant measures possible.
• Reassure children and parents that playgrounds are a safe environment, and encourage appropriate hand hygiene practices before, during and after outdoor play.
COVID-19 Public Health Guidance
• Ensure that adequate ventilation and open windows whenever possible.
• General cleaning and disinfecting of the Centre should occurs at least once a day.
• Frequently-touched surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected at least twice a day. These include door knobs, light switches, faucet handles, table counters, chairs, electronic devices, and toys.
• Clean and disinfect any surface that is visibly dirty.
• Remove toys and other items that cannot be easily cleaned (e.g., avoid plush/stuffed toys).
• Empty garbage containers daily, at minimum.
• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning blood or body fluids (e.g., runny nose, vomit, stool, urine). Wash hands before wearing and after removing gloves.
• Clean and disinfect cots and cribs after each use, and launder crib linens between children.
• Clean diapering stations after each use.
• As there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus is transmitted via textbooks, paper or other paper-based products. As such, there is no need to limit the distribution of books or paper based educational resources to children because of COVID-19.
Administrative Measures
General / Personal Measures
Child care providers:
The staff ensure talking to parents and assess their children daily for symptoms before bringing them for child care.
(For example ask parents and caregivers about illness at drop-off to confirm that the child does not have symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other respiratory disease.
(There is no role for screening children or staff for specific symptoms, checking temperatures, or COVID-19 testing. Such activities are reserved for health care professionals).
Daily Checks for Respiratory Illness and Staying Home When Sick
• All parents, caregivers, children and staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 OR travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days OR were identified by Public Health as a close contact of a confirmed case must stay home and self-isolate.
• Parents and caregivers must assess their child daily for symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other infectious respiratory disease before sending them for child care.
• The Centre has posted at facility entrances a Sign to remind people not to enter the facility if they are sick.
Physical Distancing and Minimizing Physical Contact
(The physical space requirements for licensed child care settings set out in the Child Care Licensing Regulation mean that child care centres have sufficient space to support physical distancing (i.e., maintaining a distance of 2 metres between each other) between staff without reducing the number of children in care at any one time).
• Staff should minimize the frequency of direct physical contact with children and encourage children to minimize physical contact with each other.
• Staff should maintain physical distancing from one another. It is reasonable to establish different expectations based on age and/or developmental readiness. For example: Younger children should be supported to have minimized direct contact with one another, while older children should be supported to maintain physical distance whenever possible.
• Children from the same household (e.g., siblings) do not need to maintain physical distance from each other. • Avoid close greetings (e.g., hugs, handshakes). Regularly remind children to keep “Hands to yourself”.
• Strive to minimize the number of different staff that interact with the same children throughout the day.
• Organize children into smaller groups and/or spread children out to minimize direct physical contact.
(Use different room configurations e.g., separating tables).
· Set up small group environments to reduce the number of children in a group, for example, set up 2 or 3 areas for colouring or doing crafts.
· Incorporate more individual activities or activities that encourage more space between children and staff.
· Remove toys that encourage group play in close proximity or increase the likelihood of physical contact. Keep toys that encourage individual play.
· Help younger children learn about physical distancing and less physical contact by creating games that include basic principles such as “two arm lengths apart”.
· Consider using books, individual games, video and online programs as a part of learning so children can sit independently and distanced from each other.
· Increase the distance between nap mats, if possible. If space is tight, place children head-to-toe or toe-to-toe.
· Have a separate, supervised area available for children who have symptoms of illness rest until they can be picked up and ensure these areas are cleaned and disinfected after the child has left.
· Stagger snack or meal time to allow spacing between children during meals.
· TO minimize the number of additional adults entering the centre, unless that person is providing care and/or supporting inclusion of a child in care (e.g. supportive child care assistants, speech language pathologist, etc.)
• Parents and caregivers that are symptomatic must not enter the child care facility.
• Stagger the timings of pick-up and drop-off.
• Children who are ill, including children of essential service providers, should not be permitted to attend child care.
• Staff must assess themselves daily for symptoms of common cold, influenza, or COVID-19 prior to working and stay home if they are ill.
• If a parent, caregiver or staff member is unsure if they or a child should self-isolate, they should be directed to use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool, contact 8-1-1 or the local public health unit. They can also be advised to contact a family physician or nurse practitioner to be assessed for COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
Hand Hygiene
· Rigorous hand washing with plain soap and water is the single most effective way to reduce the spread of illness. Children and staff can pick up germs easily from anything they touch, and can spread those germs to objects, surfaces, food and people. Everyone should practice diligent hand hygiene. Parents and staff can teach and reinforce these practices amongst children.
How to perform hand hygiene:
• Wash hands with plain soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing the “ABC’s” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”). Antibacterial soap is not needed for COVID-19.
• If sinks are not available (e.g., children and staff are outside), supervised use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol may be considered.
• If hands are visibly soiled, alcohol-based hand sanitizers may not be effective at eliminating respiratory viruses. Soap and water are preferred when hands are visibly dirty.
. • Children regularly forget about proper hand washing. Staff and children should practice often and staff should model washing hands properly in a fun and relaxed way. • Staff should assist young children with hand hygiene as needed.
Respiratory Etiquette
Children and staff should:
• Cough or sneeze into their elbow sleeve or a tissue. Throw away used tissues and immediately perform hand hygiene (“Cover your coughs”).
• Not touch their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands (“Hands below your shoulders”).
• It is not recommended that children wear cloth or homemade masks.
Parents and staff can teach and reinforce these practices amongst children.
Other Children and staff should not share food, drinks, soothers, bottles, sippy cups, toothbrushes, facecloths, and other personal items.
• Label personal items with the child’s name to discourage accidental sharing.
• Ensure each child has their own individual meal or snack. Reusable utensils must be cleaned and sanitized after each use.
• Children should not be allowed to prepare or serve food.
• Ask parents and caregivers to only bring personal comfort items (e.g., stuffies) if they are clean and can be laundered at the end of each day.
Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves are not needed in the child care setting, beyond those used by staff as part of regular precautions for the hazards normally encountered in their regular course of work. They should only be used when all other controls have been fully explored.
• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning blood or body fluids (e.g., runny nose, vomit, stool, urine) and when diapering. Remember to wash your hands before wearing, and after removing gloves.
· Cloth or non-medical homemade masks are not recommended. Wearing one is a personal choice.
· In young children in particular, masks can be irritating and may lead to increased touching of the face and eyes.
There is no evidence to support the use of medical grade, cloth, or homemade masks in child care setting at his time. Wearing one is a personal choice. It is important to treat people wearing masks with respect.
Supporting Child Care Communities
The BC Centre for Disease Control is the source of information about COVID-19. Resources available there can be used to support learning and to respond to questions.
For further information pls refer BCCDC website for up-to-date and accurate information regarding COVID-19.
Previous Safety Plan
Environmental Measures
Outdoor Spaces and Ventilation
• The Centre take children outside often, including for learning activities, snack time and play time.
• Activities are organized in a thoughtful way, taking into consideration all personal relevant measures possible.
• Reassure children and parents that playgrounds are a safe environment, and encourage appropriate hand hygiene practices before, during and after outdoor play.
COVID-19 Public Health Guidance
• Ensure that adequate ventilation and open windows whenever possible.
• General cleaning and disinfecting of the Centre should occurs at least once a day.
• Frequently-touched surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected at least twice a day. These include door knobs, light switches, faucet handles, table counters, chairs, electronic devices, and toys.
• Clean and disinfect any surface that is visibly dirty.
• Remove toys and other items that cannot be easily cleaned (e.g., avoid plush/stuffed toys).
• Empty garbage containers daily, at minimum.
• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning blood or body fluids (e.g., runny nose, vomit, stool, urine). Wash hands before wearing and after removing gloves.
• Clean and disinfect cots and cribs after each use, and launder crib linens between children.
• Clean diapering stations after each use.
• As there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus is transmitted via textbooks, paper or other paper-based products. As such, there is no need to limit the distribution of books or paper based educational resources to children because of COVID-19.
Administrative Measures
General / Personal Measures
Child care providers:
The staff ensure talking to parents and assess their children daily for symptoms before bringing them for child care.
(For example ask parents and caregivers about illness at drop-off to confirm that the child does not have symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other respiratory disease.
(There is no role for screening children or staff for specific symptoms, checking temperatures, or COVID-19 testing. Such activities are reserved for health care professionals).
Daily Checks for Respiratory Illness and Staying Home When Sick
• All parents, caregivers, children and staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 OR travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days OR were identified by Public Health as a close contact of a confirmed case must stay home and self-isolate.
• Parents and caregivers must assess their child daily for symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other infectious respiratory disease before sending them for child care.
• The Centre has posted at facility entrances a Sign to remind people not to enter the facility if they are sick.
Physical Distancing and Minimizing Physical Contact
(The physical space requirements for licensed child care settings set out in the Child Care Licensing Regulation mean that child care centres have sufficient space to support physical distancing (i.e., maintaining a distance of 2 metres between each other) between staff without reducing the number of children in care at any one time).
• Staff should minimize the frequency of direct physical contact with children and encourage children to minimize physical contact with each other.
• Staff should maintain physical distancing from one another. It is reasonable to establish different expectations based on age and/or developmental readiness. For example: Younger children should be supported to have minimized direct contact with one another, while older children should be supported to maintain physical distance whenever possible.
• Children from the same household (e.g., siblings) do not need to maintain physical distance from each other. • Avoid close greetings (e.g., hugs, handshakes). Regularly remind children to keep “Hands to yourself”.
• Strive to minimize the number of different staff that interact with the same children throughout the day.
• Organize children into smaller groups and/or spread children out to minimize direct physical contact.
(Use different room configurations e.g., separating tables).
· Set up small group environments to reduce the number of children in a group, for example, set up 2 or 3 areas for colouring or doing crafts.
· Incorporate more individual activities or activities that encourage more space between children and staff.
· Remove toys that encourage group play in close proximity or increase the likelihood of physical contact. Keep toys that encourage individual play.
· Help younger children learn about physical distancing and less physical contact by creating games that include basic principles such as “two arm lengths apart”.
· Consider using books, individual games, video and online programs as a part of learning so children can sit independently and distanced from each other.
· Increase the distance between nap mats, if possible. If space is tight, place children head-to-toe or toe-to-toe.
· Have a separate, supervised area available for children who have symptoms of illness rest until they can be picked up and ensure these areas are cleaned and disinfected after the child has left.
· Stagger snack or meal time to allow spacing between children during meals.
· TO minimize the number of additional adults entering the centre, unless that person is providing care and/or supporting inclusion of a child in care (e.g. supportive child care assistants, speech language pathologist, etc.)
• Parents and caregivers that are symptomatic must not enter the child care facility.
• Stagger the timings of pick-up and drop-off.
• Children who are ill, including children of essential service providers, should not be permitted to attend child care.
• Staff must assess themselves daily for symptoms of common cold, influenza, or COVID-19 prior to working and stay home if they are ill.
• If a parent, caregiver or staff member is unsure if they or a child should self-isolate, they should be directed to use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool, contact 8-1-1 or the local public health unit. They can also be advised to contact a family physician or nurse practitioner to be assessed for COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
Hand Hygiene
· Rigorous hand washing with plain soap and water is the single most effective way to reduce the spread of illness. Children and staff can pick up germs easily from anything they touch, and can spread those germs to objects, surfaces, food and people. Everyone should practice diligent hand hygiene. Parents and staff can teach and reinforce these practices amongst children.
How to perform hand hygiene:
• Wash hands with plain soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing the “ABC’s” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”). Antibacterial soap is not needed for COVID-19.
• If sinks are not available (e.g., children and staff are outside), supervised use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol may be considered.
• If hands are visibly soiled, alcohol-based hand sanitizers may not be effective at eliminating respiratory viruses. Soap and water are preferred when hands are visibly dirty.
. • Children regularly forget about proper hand washing. Staff and children should practice often and staff should model washing hands properly in a fun and relaxed way. • Staff should assist young children with hand hygiene as needed.
Respiratory Etiquette
Children and staff should:
• Cough or sneeze into their elbow sleeve or a tissue. Throw away used tissues and immediately perform hand hygiene (“Cover your coughs”).
• Not touch their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands (“Hands below your shoulders”).
• It is not recommended that children wear cloth or homemade masks.
Parents and staff can teach and reinforce these practices amongst children.
Other Children and staff should not share food, drinks, soothers, bottles, sippy cups, toothbrushes, facecloths, and other personal items.
• Label personal items with the child’s name to discourage accidental sharing.
• Ensure each child has their own individual meal or snack. Reusable utensils must be cleaned and sanitized after each use.
• Children should not be allowed to prepare or serve food.
• Ask parents and caregivers to only bring personal comfort items (e.g., stuffies) if they are clean and can be laundered at the end of each day.
Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves are not needed in the child care setting, beyond those used by staff as part of regular precautions for the hazards normally encountered in their regular course of work. They should only be used when all other controls have been fully explored.
• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning blood or body fluids (e.g., runny nose, vomit, stool, urine) and when diapering. Remember to wash your hands before wearing, and after removing gloves.
· Cloth or non-medical homemade masks are not recommended. Wearing one is a personal choice.
· In young children in particular, masks can be irritating and may lead to increased touching of the face and eyes.
There is no evidence to support the use of medical grade, cloth, or homemade masks in child care setting at his time. Wearing one is a personal choice. It is important to treat people wearing masks with respect.
Supporting Child Care Communities
The BC Centre for Disease Control is the source of information about COVID-19. Resources available there can be used to support learning and to respond to questions.
For further informataiton pls refer BCCDC website for up-to-date and accurate information regarding COVID-19.
