By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Kansas Department of Health Environment has issued guidelines on extra precautions for child care centers in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, but some centers in Hays are staying open.
Early Childhood Connections and the USD 489 preschool program closed when Hays USD 489 announced its temporary closure last week.
However, KDHE is not requiring closures of private child care facilities and homes if there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 in the facility.
Ellis church opens doors to kids
Ellis Baptist Church has opened its doors to accept a limited number of children from Ellis USD 388 who need child care over the next week.
Pastor Chad Pritchett said the church will offer free care for school-age children. The church will limit care to 10-12 children at a time. The church will provide meals if needed.
Please call Pritchett at 785-259-6335 before bringing children to ensure the church can have enough adult supervision on had to handle the children needing care.
"We know there are single moms and dads who may not have the capability to find child care and have to make decisions about going to work and keeping their kids," Pritchett said. "We want to be a blessing to our community."
Pritchett said the church will take all precautions prescribed by the KDHE that pertain to in-home child care centers.
Church officials will continue to monitor KDHE and CDC advisories and will make changes as needed, Pritchett said.
Some private child care centers open
Bright Minds Academy is open.
Owner Andrea Felder said the center is encouraging children and staff to wash their hands frequently, is sanitizing surfaces and has hand sanitizing stations set up throughout the facility.
Felder said she and her staff will revisit the issue of closing if COVID-19 cases are reported in the community.
Felder said she has heard more concerns from parents about the center closing than the issue of the spread of the virus among the children, primarily because the illness thus far has had a lesser impact on children ages 0-9.
For parents who are left without child care because of school or other child care centers closings, Bright Minds had six 2-3-year-old drop in spots and eight preschool spots available as of Monday morning.
Happy Days Childcare in Hays is also taking more precautions. They are cleaning and sanitizing toys as well as food areas and areas the children touch more frequently, Brenna Stamper, child care worker, said.
The childcare plans to decide soon it will open more slots for children in light of the school cancelations.
Learning Cross Child Care Center in Hays remains open.
Brett Schmidt, owner, said the center, which is across the street from HaysMed, provides care for many parents who work in the medical field.
He said some parents have decided to voluntarily keep their children home, but he said the center intends to remain open normal hours for now.
Learning Cross has also implemented additional disinfecting routines in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
KDHE child care COVID-19 guidelines
See the complete KDHE recommendations on child care facilities from the KDHE website below.
