This week Rhode Island begins Phase 2 of its COVID-19 reopening process. In coordination with this process Children’s Friend has reopened child care services at the following five sites: Berkshire, Dean, Dexter, Friendship, and Hartford. We are thrilled to have the sights and sounds of our young children in our classrooms once again.
The work to begin child care services has been guided by a task force of internal staff and external experts. Extensive new policies, practices, and protocols are in place. These include limiting those authorized to enter our sites at this time, health screenings for everyone entering a Children’s Friend site, nurses based at each site, personal protective equipment available at all sites and its use guided by new protocols, limited class size, extensive measures to help prevent cross-contamination, and extensive cleaning and disinfection procedures throughout the day and overnight which are being overseen by an environmental engineering management company.
Children’s Friend, like most organizations, closed physical locations and moved to work from home quickly as this crisis began to impact our community. The reopening of our sites and in-person services will move at a much slower and deliberate pace, as we work to prioritize safety, and follow and react to evolving federal and state guidance.
Throughout the crisis, although we have not operated in our usual fashion, our staff and services have remained available to those we serve. This continues as we work through our reopening stages. If you need us please give us a call. To help protect everyone’s health, non-child care related visitors will not be allowed to enter a Children’s Friend at this time.
We will continue to move forward in our reopening work in a safe and prudent manner.
Thank You and Stay Safe.
David Caprio, President and Chief Executive Officer