top of page

COVID-19

MDCC is committed to doing our utmost to safeguard the health and safety of children, staff and families. We are also committed to communicating with you as transparently as possible. As more information and conditions evolve and additional guidance is issued by local, state, and federal authorities, we will update our plan and continue to keep you informed.

A summary of our plan is below. For full details, please click here.

DROP-OFF

Below is the link and QR code to access the daily screening. Submit this by 7:30 a.m. each morning that your child is attending MDCC. (Do not submit the day before.) This will give us time to review the screenings ahead of time, in hopes of speeding up the line.

 

Staff will be available starting at 8 a.m.  When you arrive, one of the directors or teachers will greet you and take your child into the Center, after checking your screening.  Bring your Owl and Kangaroo to the classrooms' outside doors through the playground, and your Stingray to the classroom's outside door to the left of the main entrance.  Bring your Turtle, Bumble Bee, Teddy Bear, Rascal, and Jellyfish to the main entrance (after 9a.m., ring the doorbell).  We will work through the line as quickly as possible, but be prepared to wait.

Link to form

QR.png

  • Upon arriving to pick up your children, call the classroom or ring the doorbell.  A staff member will bring your children out to you.  Owls, Kangaroos, and Stingrays will be dismissed from their outside doors.  All other classrooms will be dismissed from the main doors.

  • The staff member may have limited time to chat. 

  • Staff will send email updates once a day, likely during nap time. 

  • If you need more time to talk about your child’s day or progress, please make arrangements with your child’s teacher to communicate via phone call or email. 

  • A staff member will sign children out for the day.

  • MDCC closes promptly at 5 p.m.  Please arrive no later than 5 p.m. (earlier if you would like to chat with the teachers).

PICK-UP

We will have a safe space where it is easy to supervise isolated children who become sick while in care: a separate room near the main entrance of the church.

Exposure: If a child or staff has been exposed to COVID-19, regardless of whether the individual has symptoms or not, the child or staff will not be permitted to enter the program. Exposed individuals must stay home for at least 14 days after the last day of contact with the person who is sick.

Travel: While MDCC does not have a specific travel requirement, we are following the MA travel guidelines.  EEC has stated that staff, being essential workers, are not required to self-quarantine after out-of-state travel.  We ask that all families and staff report out-of-state travel to the Director(s). 

CLASSROOM AND PLAYGROUND

Smaller classes: All classrooms will adhere to minimum 42 sq. ft. per child.  Infants will remain at the maximum group size of 7, toddlers will vary from group sizes of 6-9, and preschoolers will vary from group sizes of 11-16.

Restructured classrooms: Classrooms have been redesigned to include more play spaces for individuals and pairs of children.

Consistent staffing: Children will be in consistent groupings with consistent staffing

and limited floaters.

No mixing of classes: Groups of children will not mix with each other indoors or outdoors.

Limited sharing: Children’s belongings will be stored and separated. To minimize sharing of materials such as art supplies and equipment, each child will be given their own supplies. We have removed any items that cannot be easily washed or that encourage children to put the toy in their mouths.

CLEANING AND SANITATION

  • Handwashing sinks are available and readily accessible in each classroom and in the hallway. 

  • Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol will be utilized at times when handwashing is not available.

  • Surfaces will be cleaned and then disinfected using a bleach and water solution. 

  • Tabletops, diaper areas, toys and school materials used by children are cleaned with a disinfectant cleaner, laundered in a washing machine, or sanitized in a dishwasher.

  • High-touch surfaces will be disinfected throughout the day, and we’ll perform an enhanced deep cleaning every night.

  •  Our vents have been cleaned and sanitized, and we have installed new fans in the bathrooms and a new ceiling fan in the Owl Room. Windows will be open when possible to increase ventilation.

SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT

FAMILY REQUIREMENTS

  • Parents/guardians are required to wear a mask when on the premises and at all times during drop-off and pick-up.

  • Parents/guardians must wash their own hands and assist in washing the hands of their children before dropping off, prior to coming for pick up, and when they get home.

  • MDCC does not require masks for children, but rather follows the CDC guidance to encourage the wearing of masks or cloth face coverings for children age 2 and older who can safely and appropriately wear, remove, and handle masks.

  • No toys from home will be allowed (except a comfort item for sleeping).

STAFF REQUIREMENTS

  • Prior to returning to work, staff will be trained in COVID-19.

  • Staff must wear a face covering at all times inside and when interacting with parents and families; and when six feet of distancing is not possible outside.

  • Staff will wear vinyl gloves at all times during diapering, food handling, and sunscreen application.

  • Staff feeding and holding infants and toddlers or coming into close contact with any child’s bodily fluids will wear a long sleeve covering over their clothes, to be removed and cleaned after each use.

  • Staff will adhere to all sanitation and cleaning procedures as established by MDCC.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

To help keep our families, children and staff at MDCC healthy, we ask families to adhere to the following practices:

  • Stay home when sick.

  • Practice good hygiene.

  • Avoid touching your face.

  • Wear a mask.

  • Practice physical distancing.

  • Limit sharing.

bottom of page