*Last Updated: 25 March 2020
Amidst all the changes to our daily lives, we continue to focus 100% on what’s most important: the health, safety and happiness of your children.
It’s important to remember that the elderly and immuno-compromised are who we are all trying to protect. At Day One we are doing our part by continuing to support our community and doing the right things right.
It is also so important that the information you have is from a reliable source. There’s so much “fake news” being shared on social media right now. THE MOST RELIABLE INFORMATION IS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. We recommend that you regularly check in with their website to get the most up to date reliable information.
Visit the Australian Government Department of Health Website
This is what we are doing to keep your children healthy and safe in our care:
- Educators will be serving all food to children at all mealtimes.
- Children will not be assisting with meal preparations (cutting fruit, mixing etc).
- All soft furnishing and fabric resources such as loose cushions, dress ups, fabric dolls and puppets etc will be removed from rooms. We already launder these, but decided the removal of them will further reduce the risk of any infections spreading. Children will still have access to their normal bedding, mats and linen.
- Materials such as goop, clay and play-dough will not be offered until further notice. There are many other activities and experiences still available for the children to enjoy.
- Water play in tubs and vessels won’t occur until further notice.
- Updated protocols for centre cleaning practices that prioritises human contact areas.
- We have stocked up on hand sanitiser and disinfectants at our centres.
- We now have a sanitiser station at the entrance of every centre that we ask YOU to use every time you enter the centre.
- To minimise the number of people coming in and out of the centre, we ask that only 1 family member physically comes in to drop off and collect your child.
- We will not be allowing any non essential visitors to the centre under any circumstances.
- We have cancelled any play groups, incursions or centre events and excursions until further notice.
- We have proactively engaged a third party cleaning company to conduct organic sanitizing fogging service at our SEQ centres.
- All Campus Directors attending COVID-19 training delivered by Queensland Health.
Personal Hygiene
We ask that you wash or sanitize yours and your child’s hands upon arrival and departure from the centre. Hand sanitiser is safe for children under supervision, and families should show their child how to rub it into their hands or assist if required. We will have sanitiser stations set up at the entry to each centre. Please ensure that children are supervised when using the sanitiser as it contains alcohol, which is the best product to ensure the elimination of germs and cross contamination.
We help children to wash their hands more often and we are using this current experience as a learning opportunity for them.
We have ramped up our existing high level of hygiene with additional cleaning of areas of higher frequency of use. As new information comes to light we will continue to review and update our policies and checklists.
Families and Educators returning from overseas travel
As advised by the Prime Minister, any person returning from overseas travel must self isolate for a period of 14 days from their return date to ensure that symptoms are not present.
Children, families, visitors and Educators with symptoms of Coronavirus
Any person with the symptoms described by the Department of Health – fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath – will be excluded from the centre. A fever is defined by Staying Healthy in Childcare as a temperature above 38 degrees. In line with our normal policy, children, families and Educators with these symptoms will be excluded as they are unwell. This is based on the best available advice to us. Those excluded from the centre will be able to return with a Doctor’s clearance or when symptoms have stopped completely.
Absences from your child care centre
Unwell children will be excluded in line with our normal policy and we expect they will be collected as soon as possible. Absences for families whose children can’t attend child care due to COVID- 19 is supported by our existing arrangements. Whether a child is actually ill or not, including where a child does not attend care as part of your own precautionary measure against potential contact with COVID-19, CCS can be paid for up to 42 absence days per child, per financial year. If you intend to keep your child home or are in self-isolation, please get a Doctor’s certificate for this period. This will ensure that you don’t exceed the number of days that you can claim CCS. (It will also help us – so please provide this information as a priority).
Ongoing Communication
Please use the Childcarers App to receive further communication from us. We will update information provided as required.
How you can help us
We ask that families please:
- check Childcarers App regularly
- trust us, work with us and support our Educators
- ensure that all contact details and medical information is up to date. Please contact us if you need to update any of these details.
Thank you for following these procedures to keep our Day One community safe and healthy.
If you need to discuss anything further, please do not hesitate to speak with your Campus Director – we are here for you!
