Early childhood education programs are essential for the millions of children and families they serve and play an important role during emergency public health and economic emergencies. As schools close, families need back-up child care. As communities work to ensure no child goes hungry and essential personnel are able to handle emergencies, child care providers need resources and guidance to help assist families. And, as attendance fluctuates, child care business owners need reassurance that they will be able to pay their bills.  

Policymakers can act using these recommendations from Child Care Aware^® of America to ensure that child care programs can weather this growing public health and economic crisis, and to ensure families continue to have access to the care they need.

This time of year, illness seems to be everywhere. For those of us who work with children every day, the sounds of coughing, sneezing and nose-blowing are an unpleasant soundtrack playing on repeat from November to May. And this year, Coronavirus, concerning new respiratory illness from China is getting a lot of attention and has many people worried about what will happen as it spreads in the United States.

(Editor's Note: This blog post was originally published January 30, but was recently updated on March 14 to reflect the most up-t0-date information around the spread and status of the illness.)

On Tuesday, March 17, at 2:00 p.m. EDT, Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) is hosting a free webinar for child care providers and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies to share the latest coronavirus and emergency preparedness resources from CCAoA, along with updates and advice from our staff. In addition, the moderators will facilitate a discussion of what’s being done around the country at child care agencies and what people are doing to prepare and work with families. Register for webinar.

CCAoA has also created a new page with the latest coronavirus news and resources for CCR&Rs, parents and policymakers.  
 

The Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) Emergency Preparedness team is committed to ensuring the child care sector has the support it needs in times of uncertainty. Emergency preparedness, response and recovery is vital for the well-being of children, families and communities.   

We understand that you may feel confused or unsure about how the Coronavirus (COVID-19) could potentially affect your program, staff, children and families that you serve. We have heard your questions and continue to research and share up-to-date resources and solutions. This week, we are drawing attention to several guidance documents, leading practices and training tools that can assist you in the coming weeks. 

It’s impossible to avoid news about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) these days, and as child care leaders and providers, you are no doubt getting questions from parents about it. You are also probably wondering, how do I, as a child care provider, prevent Coronavirus from impacting the children in my care? What would I do if Coronavirus showed up in my community or child care facility?