Health and Safety Guidelines At Nature’s Gift

Nature’s Gift Preschools is committed to providing high quality care and a safe environment for our children, staff, and families. We are following guidelines from the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Community Care Licensing Department (CCLD). We will adapt, implement, and update our policies to align with safety measures, protocols, and policies as advised by these agencies.

Taking Temperature and Wellness Check Upon Arrival

  •  We continue to do well check upon arrival: We take child’ temperature with no touch thermometer to ensure that the child is fever free (The child’s forehead temperatures must be less than 100 degrees to admit the child to school).

  • We will do a visual health inspection of the child, looking for signs of illness, and symptoms which may include cough, sore throat, continuous crying/extreme fussiness/fatigue, and difficulty breathing (without recent physical activity).

  • We will ask questions regarding family wellness, travel, etc.

  • Parents must notify the school if a child has taken any fever reducing medications in the last 48 hours and must not bring the child to school.     

Drop Off Time Procedures

  • Each class (a group of 12 children or fewer) will be assigned a staggered drop off time.

  • To facilitate drop off, it is imperative that students arrive on time.

  • It is recommended that the children are taken to the restroom immediately prior to arrival at school.

  • The teachers/staff will accept children at the gate and complete the usual check-in process.

  • Procare Connect is required for download for a touch less sign in and daily communication.

During the School Day

  • One teacher is assigned to a group of 10 - 12 children and will remain with her group for the entire class time. There will be staggered times for outside play, restroom breaks, snack times, and lunch times.

  • Ours teachers plan variety of activities including such as arts and crafts, science experiments, cooking projects, unstructured play, circle & story activities and outdoor exploration.

Hygiene and Daily Routines during the School Day

  • During the school day children will be focused on projects and lessons that encourage independent completion.

  • Windows will be left open prior to/during/after class to ensure maximum outside air circulation.

  • Each class may use the playground in 30-minute rotating intervals.

  • A staff member/teacher will wipe down high-touch areas of the playground everyday.

  • Following outdoor playtime, all students will wash their hands in the restrooms prior to the next activity.

  • Only one class with its teacher can use the restroom at a time.

  • We will carefully supervise children when they are using toilets and washing hands.

  • We will engage students at each phase by using this time as a teachable moment, dispensing the hand soap, singing the hand washing song, demonstrating the scrubbing process, etc.

  • We will turn off faucets and hand children paper towels to decrease contamination.

Safety and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  • Safety of the children, teachers, and families is Nature’s Gift’s priority.

  • Nature’s Gift staff will have access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including gloves, anti bacterial wipes, hand wipes, soft tissues, and Band-Aids for classroom use.

  • Our teachers clean/sanitize the classroom tables, and material using anti-bacterial wipes each day after the class time.

Personal Supplies & Toys

Children should not bring anything to school except for an extra set of clothing to leave at school in case of emergency. If a “nap friend” or blanket is needed, the object must be left at school for the entire week.  It will be sent home to be laundered with the bedding on every Friday. You can wash the bedding and bring it back on Monday.

Napping

Rest cots are to be placed 3 feet apart (head to toe position). Shields may also be used to add an additional barrier. Bedding will be sent home once a week for laundering.  

Disinfection of surfaces during the day

  • Staff will wipe down tables, chairs, and high touch areas before the class and at the end of each class with a disinfectant bleach solution.

  • High-touch areas of the playground equipment will be wiped down with disinfectant bleach solution each day.

  • Restrooms will be wiped down with disinfectant between classes.

  • Snack areas will be swept and wiped down with disinfectant between classes.

  • High-touch classroom supplies will be disinfected at the end of the day.

  • At the end of the day, a cleaning crew will maintain the property to ensure our customary level of cleanliness.

A Child Needs to Stay at Home WHEN...

The ability for Nature’s Gift to stay open and for your children to attend depends on the health of our students and staff. To ensure the highest possible chance of sustaining our operations, please KEEP YOUR CHILD AT HOME if they:

  • Experienced a fever in the prior evening--even if his/her temperature is normal in the morning. Fever is defined as 99.5° F or higher.

  •   A child’s temperature must be normal without medication to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) for 48 hours/2 consecutive day before he/she is brought into proximity with any others, especially to school.

  • Experienced cough or flu like symptoms

  • Have been near someone who had flu-like symptoms in the last 14 days

  • Experienced vomiting during the night--unless it is certain that the vomiting was not due to an infectious condition.

  • Experience diarrhea--as defined by the CDC (consists of more than one abnormally loose stool). A child should not return to school until his/her bowel movements have returned to a normal consistency.

  • Experience conjunctivitis (pinkeye): a child with pinkeye must be on a regimen of medication and showing signs of improvement before returning.

  • Experience any unusual rash (not associated with diapering, heat, or allergic reactions) especially with fever or itching.

  • Have a sore throat and/or runny nose

  • Cough: cough is persistent

  • Lice, Scabies: Children must not return until they are free of lice and nits (eggs). Children with scabies can be admitted after proof of treatment and doctor’s note.

  • If a child is unusually tired, pale, shows a lack of appetite, is difficult to wake, confused, or irritable, it is sufficient reason to keep her/him home.

  • Family Travel Overseas-- A child should remain at home if they or a family member has traveled overseas within the past two (2) weeks.

  • If a child experiences flu like symptoms and fever, the child may return to school after symptoms disappear.

  • For the safety and well being of all the children at school, a doctor’s clearance letter is required to return to preschool if the child has any of the above symptoms.

  • For more information, please read: http://acphd.org/media/576680/acphd-covid-19-childcare-faq-english.pdf