Day cares battle new normal apart and together
Published:Wednesday | July 29, 2020 | 12:27 AM
As the Government continues to ease COVID-19 restrictions, two operators of day cares and summer day camps have shared the challenges of a soft reopening.
Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie gave the green light for facilities to reopen for an initial period of two weeks, commencing July 21.
The Gleaner canvassed at least 15 facilities in Kingston on Tuesday, 10 of which were closed.
Principal of Creative Kids Learning Academy, Haedi-Kaye Holmes, said that her school has implemented social-distancing strategies with marked benches, intensified cleaning, and a rigid disinfection regime. The Kingston institution 5 has also allocated additional outdoor time for students.
“It’s very difficult to keep the kids from getting too close, so what we try to do is ensure that they keep on face shields and masks, and we have outside sanitisation stations,” Holmes said.
“They have to wash their hands upon arrival, get their temperature checked, and throughout the day, we have bottles that we have sanitiser in, and so we continuously spray their hands.”
To prevent intermingling among the different groups, the administration arranged for classes to include the same students in the same location.
CHALLENGING WEEK
Holmes organised trestle tables and chairs in a covered, outdoor area for classes with older students. A mobile whiteboard and wall fans are also features of the outdoor classroom.
Another operator of a day care and nursery in the Greater Waltham Park area told The Gleaner that the past week has been challenging.
“It’s not something that we are used to, but we are trying to cope as best as possible by washing our hands, teaching the older children to wash their hands, and sanitise the hands of the smaller children,” the operator said.
Neither teachers nor students were observed wearing masks.
The administrator, who requested anonymity, shared that the population has generally been small over the years, and reopening in the COVID-19 era has been slow going. In the last week, only 25 per cent of enrolled children turned up.
Both day cares have maintained an adequate ratio of staff to children to ensure health and safety.
“Most of the parents that come want to know what’s the ratio because they don’t want their children to be in a crowded environment,” revealed the administrator.
At a digital town hall meeting held on July 23, acting director of emergency medical services in the health ministry, Dr Kurdell Espinosa Campbell, explained that day-care facilities will be required to put in additional safety measures before they are allowed to fully reopen.
The measures will take into account the different stages of development of children at these facilities.
“You have some preverbal children. They may listen, but they cannot necessarily speak and you have children who are up and running. Their natural tendency developmental-wise is to touch,” said Espinosa Campbell.
“They touch their mouth, their hands, and contaminate surfaces.”