YCP is closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and is following the guidance of the Fairfax County Health Department, the Center for Disease Control, and the Office of Personnel Management.
In addition to our standard health and sanitation practices, we are implementing a few new guidelines and procedures to keep the YCP community healthy:
When entering school, we ask that you immediately go to the bathroom with your child and wash both yours and your child’s hands or use hand sanitizer pumps located next to the doorways.
We will conduct an additional health check with each child in the morning at drop off. Teachers will take each student's temperature - any child with a fever over 100.4 degrees will not be able to remain at the Center.
If your child develops a fever at school, we will immediately isolate them and call parents (or emergency contacts if we cannot reach a parent) and ask that they be picked up immediately. Children must be free of fever (measured or perceived) for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing or symptom-altering medications, such as Motrin or Tylenol before returning to YCP. Depending on the severity/length of sickness, we may ask for a Doctor’s note before returning to the Center.
Staff will also record their own temperatures and will be required to go home if they have any “flu-like” symptoms – staff at YCP receive paid sick leave and are encouraged to use it.
If a parent, sibling, student, or staff member is diagnosed with the COVID-19, the school will immediately close for 14 days – no tuition refunds will be available if this occurs in order for YCP to maintain operations and reopen in a safe manner as soon as possible.
If a parent, sibling, student, or staff member has been exposed, but not diagnosed with the COVID-19, we will close the Center for a 24-hour period for a Deep Clean and the exposed individual will be asked to not return to school for 14 days or until advised that they are safe to do so by their physician.
Any extended closures will be determined by the status of Fairfax County Public Schools and the Federal Government and we will keep everyone updated as the situation changes.
We also ask families to get into the daily habit of assessing wellness at home and to please communicate with us and keep your child home if they develop symptoms. You should contact your medical provider if anyone in your family develops a fever and respiratory symptoms and believe they have been exposed to influenza and/or COVID-19. You should call ahead prior to visiting a healthcare facility if you or anyone in your family has symptoms of influenza (fever/chills, cough, sore throat, muscle/body/headaches, fatigue) or COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath).
Recommended Prevention Measures for COVID-19 include:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer may be used if soap and water are not readily available.
Wash your hands when entering and exiting YCP, before and after meals, after diapering/toileting & taking trash out.
Stay home when feeling sick.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible – wash your hands immediately if you touch your own face or a child’s face.
Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow OR a tissue (immediately throw tissue in trash.)
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces including doorknobs and handles.
Although the influenza vaccine will not protect you against COVID-19, it is still highly recommended that everyone 6 months and older receive this season's influenza vaccine. Cases of influenza (Types A and B) are currently circulating in many communities across the U.S.
The CDC does not recommend individuals who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves against respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Facemasks should only be used if a healthcare professional recommends it.
We are continuing to follow our regular policies and procedures to help control the spread of infectious diseases, which include:
Washing hands frequently with soap and water using proper hand washing techniques - Handwashing procedures are posted at each handwashing sink.
Routine cleaning, sanitizing and disinfection of toys and surfaces according to the recommended schedule.
Encouraging everyone to follow procedures for covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing.
Performing and documenting daily health checks of children every morning. Parents are contacted for any concerning changes in behavior or appearance as they occur throughout the day.
Adhering to our illness exclusion criteria, which are designed, to align with current best practice and research as it relates to controlling the spread of illness within childcare centers and schools.
Providing information via email to families about potential exposure to any unusual level or type of communicable disease. This notification includes signs and symptoms of the disease, modes of transmission, period of communicability, and recommended control measures for both the Center and home.