Earlier this month, President Biden announced the details of his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan. The proposal provides emergency relief to families and businesses during the economic crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic.

The plan includes executive actions the President quickly implemented after taking office. The Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide guidance for child care programs to safely reopen and operate. HHS will also provide guidance to assist child care programs in meeting the needs of children, families and staff affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on trauma-informed care, behavioral and mental health supports and family support.

La salud y la seguridad en los entornos de cuidado infantil son fundamentales en todo momento. La pandemia de COVID-19 ha ampliado las responsabilidades de los proveedores de cuidado infantil para garantizar que el medio ambiente sea seguro y saludable. Un nuevo recurso de CCAoA, La salud ambiental y la seguridad en los entornos del cuidado infantil: Consideraciones durante los brotes virales, destaca importantes preocupaciones de salud y seguridad ambiental para los entornos de cuidado infantil tanto en la familia como en el centro. ¡Puedes encontrar el recurso completo aquí! A continuación, se incluye un breve resumen del recurso.

You may have seen reports of potential violence across the country leading up to the Presidential inauguration on January 20. We have heard from child care providers concerned about their program safety, the safety of their families and staff, and whether they should remain open for the next several days. 

Las agencias de recursos y referencias del cuidado infantil (CCR&R) y los proveedores se han puesto en contacto con Child Care Aware^® of America con preguntas sobre cómo asegurarse de que sus programas se limpien correctamente y estén listos cuando los programas de cuidado infantil se reabran.

Primero, es importante comprender la diferencia entre limpiar, sanitizar y desinfectar. En resumen, limpiar significa eliminar la suciedad o los gérmenes de una superficie; sanitizar se refiere a reducir la cantidad de patógenos o bacterias en esa superficie limpia; la desinfección mata todas las bacterias en superficies duras y no porosas. La distinción entre los tres puede parecer borrosa, por lo que hemos recopilado algunos de los enlaces más útiles de socios en salud pública para asegurarnos de que esté listo y preparado. 

The 2020 election cycle set a record for voter turnout. Preliminary estimates show that more Americans— about two-thirds of eligible voters— voted in 2020 than in any other election in U.S. history. And in every single community, child care was on the ballot in the positions of the officials elected. In addition, in some communities child care, early learning or support for children and families were directly on the ballot, and in many of these cases, there was robust support.