It has not gone unnoticed that we have been very blessed for the past 2 years. HAFH and its families have felt minimal impact from the pandemic as it spreads around us. With soaring cases of Covid in our community it is getting dangerously “close to home”. Many of you know that we are now just feeling it’s impact on our own little HAFH community. Going forward we will need to implement stricter Health policies for children and staff to protect everyone and keep our doors open to serve our families. 

What Is HAFH staff doing to mitigate the risk for everyone:

·         All staff has received the 2 shot series of the COVID vaccine, several have already received their boosters.

·         Wearing masks as often as possible, especially during prolonged close interactions with the children.

·         Encouraging Frequent handwashing through scheduling and modeling

·         Frequent cleaning and sanitizing of toys and surfaces

·         Monitoring children closely for any signs of illness. Including temperature checks 2 times or more per day.

Parents, Please Watch for Symptoms:

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from asymptomatic, to mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. Research shows that the contagion period can start has early as 48 hours before symptoms start. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

  • Fever over 100 degrees or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or uncontrolled or thick runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

If your child exhibits any of these symptoms they will need to stay home and have a negative COVID PCR test to return as well as be symptom and fever free for a minimum of 24 hours without medication. In the event that your child is knowingly exposed to a person, who is confirmed positive for COVID they will need to quarantine for 5 days from the day of their last exposure, get a PCR- covid test, if the results are negative and they remain asymptomatic then they can return after 10 days.Thank you for your understanding and patience as we implement these new procedures. Our goal is to minimize disruption while at the same time keeping you, your family and our staff healthy and well.
SIncerely,

Ann Bouwhuis

Home Away From Home CCC