children playing

Information for licensed child care faciltiies: COVD-19

Printer-friendly versionSend by emailPDF version
Author: 
Format: 
government document
Publication Date: 
22 Mar 2020

EXCERPTS

COVID-19 is a new virus that has not been previously identified. The virus spreads through close person-to-person contact. Everyone has a role to play to mitigate the impacts of this disease.

Licensed child care facilities continue to provide a vital role in supporting communities at this time. The following information serves as a reference document for services provided.

REQUIREMENTS
Child Care legislation, regulation and policy applies in all licensed child care facilities. The measures below highlight particular requirements or enhanced recommendations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTENT
The intent of this document is to provide supplementary information to facilities to assist with the provision of child care services to help protect the health and safety of children, families, child care facility staff and the larger community during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT TO REDUCE SPREAD OF COVID-19
Facilities are encouraged to provide these increased measures with parents.

Maximum Program Capacity – Child care facilities can maintain operations with their existing capacity as long as children are separated into defined groups.

Maximum Capacity Per Defined Group – The maximum capacity of any defined group is eight (8) children. Where possible, assign siblings to the same group. If you have a number of infants, you may want to care for infants as a separate group in a separate room. Keep the same children in the same group and same space throughout the day and every day.

Children must eat, sleep and play in the same space. Infants sleeping area can be an exception. For home based child care, where there are more than eight children in the home at one time, ensure smaller groups of children are eating at staggered times and spaces are sanitized between groups.

Groups may be separated through the use of barriers or furniture such as room dividers or shelving units that need not reach floor to ceiling. You must have a minimum of 3. 7 square metres of useable floor area as per section 56 of The Child Care Regulations, 2015.

Ratios must be maintained. More than one adult may be required to care for one group.

No Person Who is Sick is permitted to Enter a Child Care Facility – Any child, parent or facility
staff member with symptoms of illness should not enter a child care facility.

See attached PDF for full guidelines/ protocols

Region: