We are putting safety first to protect our families and staff.
These are the Protocols that Casa dei Bambini put in place for our Staff and Families, monitored on a regular bases by a floating staff member.

Social and Physical Distancing

Social and physical distancing is a practice recommended by public health officials to slow down the spread of disease. It requires the intentional creation of physical space between individuals who may spread contagious and infectious diseases. It additionally requires canceling or postponing the number of gatherings and group activities, reducing all group sizes, and maintaining six feet of distance between every individual, as much as possible.

It is important to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Stay home if sick. If you or your child has been sick, we ask that all household members stay home until they’ve been symptom-free without medication for at least 48 hours. Classrooms will be open to well individuals only.

• Sick space. Centers will have a dedicated space (in or out of the classroom) where teachers can care for sick children while being separated from others until a family member can come to pick up.

• Same person drop-off and pick-up. Families are asked to assign one family member for drop off and pick up to minimize exposure to multiple people.

• Restricted classroom access. To minimize potential exposure, we ask that families not walk your child to their classroom when you arrive. Instead, please check in with wellness desk, and staff will walk your child to their classroom. Classrooms will be reserved for teachers and children only.

• Naptime adjustments. Children will continue to sleep (without masks) six feet apart whenever possible and be positioned alternating head to toe or toe to toe. Bedding will be laundered nightly.

• Playground restrictions. Outdoor play structures will be utilized by one class at a time, with increased time between play to allow for cleaning.

• Health screening and temperature checks. Instead of families taking children’s temperatures at home, our staff will check temperatures on-site at check-in with touchless thermometer

• Children will remain in groups as small as possible not to exceed ratio and capacity requirements in the charts below.

  It is important to keep the same children and teacher or staff with each group and include children from the same family in the same group, to the greatest extent possible.

• Extend the indoor environment to outdoors, and bring the class outside, weather permitting.

• Open windows to ventilate facilities before and after children arrive.

• Arrange developmentally appropriate activities for smaller group activities and rearrange furniture and play spaces to maintain 6-feet separation, when possible.

• Find creative ways to use yarn, masking tape, or other materials for children to create their own space.

Our schools directive to staff and families:

• Follow procedures daily for self-screening for all staff, residing family members, and children. This should include taking temperatures before arriving to work or beginning care.

• Staff training about the new screening procedures and notify caregivers.

  Ask caregivers to screen themselves and children daily, prior to coming to your facility. Caregiver must also notify you if children have taken any fever reducing medications in the prior 24 hours.

• If anyone has a temperature of 100.4°F/38°C or higher they must be excluded from the facility.

• Take children’s temperature each morning only if the facility uses a no-touch thermometer. The no touch thermometer needs to be wiped with an alcohol wipe after each use.

• Not to recommend the use of a thermometer touch-method within the school.

• Thermometers must be properly cleaned and disinfected after each use.

• Monitor staff and children throughout the day for any signs of possible illness.

• If staff or a child exhibit signs of illness, follow the facility procedures for isolation from the general room population and notify the caregiver immediately to pick up the child.

• Implement and enforce strict handwashing guidelines for all staff and children.

• Post signs in restrooms and near sinks that convey proper handwashing techniques.

How to Talk to Young Children about Social Distancing:

• Implement strategies to model and reinforce social and physical distancing and movement. o Use carpet squares, mats, or other visuals for spacing.

• Model social distancing when interacting with children, families, and staff.

• Role-play what social distancing looks like by demonstrating the recommended distance.

• Give frequent verbal reminders to children.

• Create and develop a scripted story around social distancing, as well as handwashing, proper etiquette for sneezes, coughs, etc.

Practice Healthy Hygiene:

• Teach, model, and reinforce healthy habits and social skills. o Explain to children why it’s not healthy to share drinks or food, particularly when sick.

• Practice frequent handwashing by teaching a popular child-friendly song or counting to 20 (handwashing should last 20 seconds).

• Teach children to use tissue to wipe their nose and to cough inside their elbow.

• Model and practice handwashing before and after eating, after coughing or sneezing, after playing outside, and after using the restroom.

During Drop Off and Pick Up:

• We'll Conduct visual wellness checks of all children upon arrival and ask health questions when concerned.

• We'll ask caregivers and parents to meet at the facility entryway for pick-up and drop-off of children whenever possible.

• We'll Explain to parents and caregivers that all visits should be as brief as possible.

• We'll ask children to use hand sanitizer during their wellness check and before the children enter the classroom.

• We'll ask parents and caregivers to wash their own hands and assist in washing the hands of their children before drop off, prior to coming for pick up, and when they get home.

• Classroom teachers will sign your child/ren in with electronic signature

• We'll hand sanitizer available, near all entry doors and other high traffic areas.

We frequently examine our Environment and look for:

• Implemented procedures to frequently clean all touched surfaces. Have multiple toys and manipulatives accessible that are easy to clean and sanitize throughout the day.

• Limit the amount of sharing.

• Offer more opportunities for individual play and solo activities, such as fine motor activities (i.e., drawing, coloring, cutting, puzzles, and other manipulatives).

• Plan activities that do not require close physical contact between multiple children.

• Stagger indoor and outdoor play and adjust schedules to reduce the number of children in the same area.

• Designate a tub for toys that need to be cleaned and wiped after use.

Meal Times procedures:

• Utilize more tables to spread children out or use name cards to ensure adequate spacing of children. o Practice proper handwashing before and after eating.

• Use paper goods and disposable plastic utensils when possible, following CDC and CDPH COVID-19 food handling guidelines.

• Immediately clean and disinfect trays and tables after meals.

• Avoid family- or cafeteria-style meals, ask staff to handle utensils, and keep food covered to avoid contamination.

• Families will provide morning snack, picknic style lunch.

Toothbrushing:

• Stop toothbrushing during class. Encourage parents and caregivers to regularly brush teeth at home.

Bathroom:

• Use this time as an opportunity to reinforce healthy habits and monitor proper handwashing.

• Sanitize the sink and toilet handles before and after each child’s use.

• Wash hands for 20 seconds and use paper towels (or single use cloth towels) to dry hands thoroughly.

Personal Items:

• All personal items should be labeled and kept in a separate bag to ensure personal items are separate from others. During this time, personal toys should be kept at home until further notice.

Napping:

• Space cots 6 feet apart from each other. Arrange the head of each bed alternately, in opposite directions, to lessen the possible spread of illness between children from coughing or sneezing.