Home » The Future of Child Care: How Health First Aims to Protect Your Child From COVID-19

The Future of Child Care: How Health First Aims to Protect Your Child From COVID-19

By  //  July 16, 2020

complexities brought by COVID-19 have touched every detail of how this dedicated team cares for children

Those who have been caring for the children of our healthcare heroes while they are at work have experienced what the future looks like when it comes to child care. (Health First image)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Those who have been caring for the children of our healthcare heroes while they are at work have experienced what the future looks like when it comes to child care.

The complexities brought by COVID-19 have touched every detail of how this dedicated team cares for the children entrusted to them.

The Health First Center for Child Development’s top priority continues to be our children’s overall safety and well-being.

The child care facility has been and still is, crucial lifeline parents depend on as they stand on the front lines against COVID-19. Our goal is to make sure every parent, student and teacher have peace of mind when entering their child’s place of learning.

“Since the beginning, we’ve taken great measures when it comes to the overall cleanliness and abiding by COVID-19 safety precautions to keep your child safe,” said Paula Just, Chief Human Resources Officer with Health First.

“Our child care associates have adjusted to COVID-19 by revamping our program with new standards and suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Department of Children and Families.”

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Here are some policies and procedures the Center for Child Development has implemented to help protect students, teachers and parents:

▪ Requiring all teachers to wear masks
▪ Temperature checks for everyone who enters our facilities, including students. Anyone who has a fever – or COVID-19 symptoms – will not be allowed in the facility.
▪ Requiring parents to wear masks when dropping off or picking up their children
▪ Not allowing parents in our classrooms. This safeguard has been in effect since this pandemic began.
▪ Teachers regularly cleaning and disinfecting toys and other high-traffic items throughout the school day. These items are also disinfected at night for further protection.
▪ Per CDC guidelines, frequent hand-washing and hand sanitizer usage is in effect, and sanitizer is readily available for both associates and the children.
▪ Any child who is diagnosed with COVID-19, or has been exposed to someone with it, must isolate with their parent at home for 14 days, test negative for an active infection and not show any symptoms before being allowed to return to school.

“We’ve also adjusted our sick policy so that children, associates who are sick or caring for sick children with any illness are not permitted back into our facilities until they have been free of symptoms for 72 hours,” Just said.

“These are all measures to help everyone stay safe while reinforcing trust in safe havens for our children.”

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