Carney’s latest coronavirus order closes child care centers that don’t serve ‘essential personnel’

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Gov. John Carney on Monday signed the eighth modification to his State of Emergency declaration, which allows child care programs in Delaware to be designated as emergency child care sites. The designation is designed  to assist essential personnel during the coronavirus crisis.

The order means child cares that don’t meet the emergency designation will close.

Read the full text of Monday’s order.

Starting April 6 and continuing until the State of Emergency is lifted, child care may only be provided by child care centers and child care homes that have been designated as “Emergency Child Care Sites” by the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF).

In order to be an emergency child care site, child care centers and homes must certify that they are only providing child care to children of personnel working for essential businesses, as defined by Governor Carney’s State of Emergency, and cannot work from home.

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“We are doing everything we can to prevent a spike in coronavirus cases that could overwhelm our hospital system, and health care workers are on the front lines of Delaware’s response,” said  Carney.

The closing of many child care centers had long been advocated by some, who cite the ability of virus infections to quickly spread.

“This new order will make sure Delaware’s health care workers and other first responders can stay at work, and keep our communities healthy, by providing them access to emergency child care services. We need all Delawareans to do their part. Stay at home. Don’t go out in public unnecessarily. Wash your hands. Stay informed. We’ll get through this – but we all need to do our part,” Carney said.

The order also allows DSCYF to create a process by which families can enroll their children in designated emergency child care if their current child care facility temporarily closes. DSCYF worked with the Delaware Division of Public Health to create strict health and safety guidelines to help child care providers prepare their facilities.

Before being designated as an emergency child care site by DSCYF, a provider must demonstrate that they are able to and will adhere to the following requirements developed by the Office of Child Care Licensing and the Division of Public Health.

Interested providers must submit an emergency child care site application online by April 3. As of April 6, all other child care facilities must close until the end of the Governor’s State of Emergency.

Child care providers and caregivers should check coronavirus.delaware.gov/child-care/ in the coming days for information on how to apply to be an emergency child care site, what the requirements are in order to comply with the designation and how to certify essential personnel status and temporarily enroll children.

Also under Monday’s order, state buildings and essential businesses that are deemed high-risk shall screen every employee, visitor and member of the public entering their facilities.

The state shall develop and publicly post the screening tool to be used by high-risk essential businesses. All state buildings and essential businesses shall display signage that cautions individuals experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 not to enter the premises.

Also, all hospitals, nursing and residential facilities, and ambulatory health care services in Delaware, as categorized by the Division of Small Business, shall comply with the Public Health Authority’s guidance for the use of Personal Protective Equipment.

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