Summer Day Camps Procedures

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Grace Memorial Baptist Church

 

Summer Day Camp Procedures & Policies

Reducing the Risk for Transmission & Spread of COVID-19

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

Introduction 3
Risk Reduction 3
Physical Distancing 3
Groupings and Attendance 4
Hand and Respiratory Hygiene 4
Personal Belongings 5
Postings 5
Screening and Monitoring 5
Payments 7
Records 8
Cleaning and Disinfecting 8
Indoor and Outdoor Environments 8
When a Child or Staff falls Ill 9
Staff Absence Policy 9
Assessment & Implementation of the Operational Plan 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A State of Emergency was declared in New Brunswick on March 19, 2020 due to the increased presence of COVID-19 in our province. At that time, many businesses were closed and awaited the government’s directive for re-opening procedures. On May 8, 2020, facilities that offer Day Camps were given permission to re-open with additional health and safety measures put in place. One such measure is the creation of an operational plan to ensure each childcare provider is prepared to take all precautions for reopening and continuing operations.

This operational plan is to ensure workplaces have documented their risk assessment and risk mitigation measures consistent with Public Health guidance and the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations. Outlined below are Grace Memorial Baptist Church’s plans and procedures to limit the risk of transmission and spread within our facilities.

 

RISK REDUCTION

Grace Memorial Baptist Church will work diligently to limit the risk in relation to the spread of COVID-19. Our Day Camp programs will follow the guidelines outlined by Public Health. As the Government of New Brunswick and the Public Health Agency of Canada states, physical distancing and effective hand and respiratory hygiene are key preventive measures of contracting COVID-19. While physical distancing with regards to children is challenging in group settings, Public Health has provided a grouping method strategy, screening practices, and other various policies and procedures to mitigate the risk; these practices are outlined below.

 

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

To limit interactions among larger groups of children, Grace Memorial Day Camps will operate with a grouping system of no more than 15 children (plus staff) and children from same family units will remain in the same groupings. When more than one “grouping” is required to be within the same area, barriers will be in place to ensure that both groups are kept at a minimum of 2 meters (6 feet part) with a maximum of two groupings per room. Public Health has outlined that within those 15 child groupings, physical distancing is not required; staff/volunteers will encourage children not to touch other children and to practice good personal hygiene. Whenever possible, staff/volunteers will also practice social distancing with one another, the children in our programs, and parents/guardians. Each day of programming will begin with educating and reminding all children on proper hand and respiratory hygiene.

At drop off and pick up, Grace Memorial will be using a vehicle train system where parents/guardians will not leave their vehicles to reduce congestion and ensure social distancing.

 

GROUPINGS AND ATTENDANCE

In addition to regular attendance records, Grace Memorial Day Camps are required to maintain a confidential log of children in each self- contained group of 15 and the date the group was established. If groups change, due to increased/decreased attendance, etc., a new group will be established. For the duration of each week of camp, the same group of children and leaders will stay together. If a case of COVID-19 was found in the facility, the records of attendance and groupings will be shared with Public Health in order to help with contact-tracing.

 

HAND AND RESPIRATORY HYGIENE

Hand and respiratory hygiene are vital for the prevention of spreading germs and viruses, including COVID-19. As such, Grace Memorial staff, volunteers, and children will follow the recommended procedures when washing hands with soap and water, especially:

  • on arrival;
  • before and after meals;
  • after using the toilet;
  • after blowing nose, coughing or sneezing;
  • after playing with shared toys;
  • after visiting municipal parks or playgrounds;
  • when taking medications; and
  • after playing outside.

In addition, staff/volunteers are required to wash their hands:

  • before and after handling food;
  • after breaks; and
  • before and after giving medications.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with a minimum 70% alcohol that has been approved by Health Canada may be used by children and staff/volunteers if they do not have access to soap and water, and if their hands are not visibly soiled. Hand sanitizer will be kept out of reach of children, and all children will be supervised when using these sanitizers. Visitors will be closely monitored and accepted on a mandatory basis only. All visitors entering the facility will be required to wash their hands upon entering and complete the screening procedures as well.

The following guidelines will also be encouraged among staff/volunteers and children:

  • To avoid touching the face, eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • To cover the mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or the crease of the elbow when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of used tissues immediately and then wash hands.

 

PERSONAL BELONGINGS

To lower the risk of transmission, Grace Memorial Day Camp is requesting that all toys and unnecessary personal belongings remain at home. Sunscreen and a change of clothes can be sent with children each day, but must be labelled and remain in the child’s book bag when not in use. Each child MUST bring their own water bottle that is labelled and will go home each night. Snacks and lunches must be sent with your child each day in an enclosed lunch bag that is labelled; sharing of snacks or drinks are prohibited. Staff/volunteers and children’s food CANNOT be heated in any capacity; ensure to send food that is ready to eat. Due to COVID-19 restrictions Grace Memorial is unable to provide snacks or drinks; with exception being when staying at a park/playground for an extended period of time. The snack will be individually wrapped and distributed by one staff member while wearing gloves.

Parents are required to send masks for their child(ren) to be kept in their child’s bookbag. These masks will be used when a child falls ill or meets any portion of the outlined exclusion criteria  while arrangements for pick up can be made.

 

POSTINGS

Grace Memorial will be equipped with postings at the entrance to the facility advising parents/guardians of the pre-screening process upon entering the premises. This document will advise parents of the required pre-screening form for each visit should they enter the facility with their child and that pre-screening is to include temperature checks of all persons upon entry.

We will restrict access to only essential visitors whose entrance into the facility is necessary for operations. Individuals and households who have traveled out of province and anyone who exhibits 2 or more COVID-19 symptoms as outlined by Public Health will not be permitted to enter the facility.

Postings at handwashing stations, throughout the centre, and in restrooms, with visual aids for children, will include proper handwashing techniques for all children, staff and visitors to the facility. The facility will also outline proper hygiene and techniques for sneezing and coughing into the sleeve, elbow or a tissue.

Staff will increase proper cleaning and sanitization procedures with clear accountabilities assigned to specific staff and follow all Public Health guidelines. A cleaning and disinfection schedule will be easily and readily accessible to facility staff and Public Health Inspectors.

 

SCREENING AND MONITORING

Drop off and Pick-up

Grace Memorial Day Camp requires that all children be dropped off at our facility by 8:50am each day as doors will be locked at 9:00am. In addition, we ask that families designate one family member to maintain drop-off and pick-up each day, whenever possible. Parents are required to complete a signed pre-screening questionnaire each day at drop-off for their child.  Contactless daily temperature checks will also be taken on children, staff, and volunteers who enter the facility as well. Staff/volunteers and children will also have a temperature check conducted after 5 hours of care at the program.

The following methods will be implemented for pre-screening.

1: Outside drop-off  will be required each day with parents/guardians and other children not attending Day Camps to remain in their cars.  Vehicles will enter the parking lot at the Northumberland St entrance and exit at Connaught St. This will limit the pre-screening requirements for parents who do not need to enter the facility, and also limit traffic into the centre. This will also help to allow for physical distancing at drop-off. Parents will still need to complete the daily pre-screening paperwork for each child from inside their vehicles. Staff/volunteers will assist the children in exiting their vehicle and perform temperature checks.

2: Outside pick-up will be required each day with parents/guardians and other children not attending Day Camps to remain in their cars. Vehicles will enter the parking lot at the Northumberland St entrance and exit at Connaught St. Staff/volunteers will assist the children getting to the vehicle.

In each case, parents will need to sign the pre-screening form for their child(ren) but not for themselves. We ask that our Day Camp parents please provide additional time for pick-up and drop-off to allow for pre-screening.

Prior to entering Day Camp, staff, children, or others deemed essential must be pre-screened. Pre-screening includes:

  • Screening Questionnaire for COVID-19
  • Temperature checks of all persons, providing a non-contact thermometer (i.e. infrared) is available.
  • Immediate handwashing when entering the facility

 

The Pre-screening questionnaire includes the following questions:

Do NOT have: 

  1. Any of the 2 following symptoms: fever or signs of fever, new cough or worsening chronic cough, runny nose, headache, sore throat, new onset of fatigue, new onset of muscle pain, diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell? ______ initial
  2. If a child, purple fingers or toes even as the only symptom? ______ initial

If you/your child do experience these symptoms please stay home and contact 811 and you/your child cannot return until they are fully recovered.

Have you or anyone in your household:

  1. Been in close contact (face to face contact within 2 meters) with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days? YES / NO  ______ initial
  2. Returned from travel outside New Brunswick within the last 14 days?   YES / NO _____ initial
  3. Returned from travel within Zone 5 (Campbelton) within the last 14 days?     YES / NO  _____ initial
  4. Been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are waiting to hear results of a lab test for COVID-19.   YES / NO_____ initial
  5. Possibly exposed to COVID-19 in the last 14 days.  YES / NO _____ initial 
  6. Been told by public health that you may have been exposed to COVID-19.  YES / NO _____ initial

If you answered YES to any of the above statements, then you must stay home and self-isolate for 14 days. If you develop symptoms, please refer to the self-assessment page provided or from the Government of New Brunswick webpage.

Following pre-screening, those children and staff/volunteers exhibiting symptoms will be advised of the following:

Strict exclusion of:

  • Children or staff/volunteers who are sick with 2 or more of the following symptoms: fever or signs of fever, new cough or worsening chronic cough, runny nose, headache, sore throat, new onset of fatigue, new onset of muscle pain, diarrhea or loss of taste or smell

OR

  • A child displaying purple fingers or toes even as the only symptom

If either of the above criteria is met, those who are sick must stay home, contact 811, and cannot return until fully recovered. If tested, Public Health will inform the individual or parent (when a child is involved) when isolation may be lifted.

Note: Children or staff/volunteers who have been identified as having seasonal allergies or who suffer from chronic runny nose/nasal congestion are not required to be excluded.

If Grace Memorial Day Camp has one confirmed case of COVID-19 or, has 2 or more suspect cases of COVID-19, the facility will advise Public Health by contacting the Regional Health Authority Public Health Nurse or the after-hour emergency number (for after hours). An outbreak will be declared by Public Health when warranted; if an outbreak is declared, then the facility must close. The facility cannot reopen until advised by Public Health. Regional Public Health will be involved to manage the outbreak and ensure contacts are identified, public health measures are in place and will lead any communication that is required.

 

PAYMENTS

Grace Memorial Day Camps require all money to be paid prior to the beginning of camp, and a camper’s space is not guaranteed until payment is received. Payments may be completed online via e-transfer at email gracem@nb.aibn.com, in person at our office, or mailed to the church. For families requiring early drop off or late pick up, payments must be made prior to that week’s camp as we will not be accepting any payments during camp. All payments are non-refundable.

 

RECORDS

Public Health requires that Grace Memorial Day Camp families provide us with up to date records of each member living within the child’s household(s) (e.g. names and contact numbers - this includes any roommates, relatives that share a home with that child, etc). Should a child have multiple homes, information will be requested for members of each household. This file will be kept onsite at the Day Camp program, and will be provided to Public Health only if necessary.

 

CLEANING AND DISINFECTING

Cleaning and disinfecting protocols are a part of ensuring our environments are clean and accessible for all children. Although these protocols are effective in disease control, Grace Memorial will increase the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces in order to control the spread of viruses, and other microorganisms. All surfaces will be cleaned a minimum of twice a day by Grace Memorial leaders. Additional cleaning measures will apply to surfaces that are frequently touched, including door knobs, handrails, light switches, taps and hand sanitizer dispensers. Toys that children may put in their mouth will be rinsed with potable water after they have been cleaned and disinfected.

Grace Memorial Day Camp uses Buckeye SaniI-Q2 (Quat) to disinfect, with active ingredients Benzalkonium Chloride, Didecyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride, Dioctyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride, Octyl Decyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride to sanitize all hard surfaces and toys. Bleach kits are also available as needed, however, Quat is removed from programs when bleach kits are utilized.

In addition, staff will maintain an onsite supply of hand sanitizer, toilet paper, paper towel, garbage bags, soap and cleaning disinfectant. When this supply is running low, they will request additional supplies from their Custodian. The Summer MInistry Director will make arrangements to ensure that all required supplies are available to the childcare programs as needed.

 

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS

Increasing the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces is a key component in combating the spread of illness. Surfaces that are touched by large groups of people such as door knobs, light switches and faucets will be cleaned more frequently. As per the advisement of Public Health, Grace Memorial Day Camps have also made the following change to their indoor and outdoor environments to decrease the risk of transmission among children via surface transmission:

  • Temporarily suspend any cooking sessions
  • Temporarily remove puzzles, play-doh, bubbles, and any toys that are challenging to disinfect between use
  • Provide separate gym equipment and craft supplies for each child grouping
  • Outdoor water slides and splash pools will be rotated between each child grouping with a minimum of 24 hours between groups
  • Prohibited use of playgrounds at schools based on Public Health restrictions
  • Provide separate play spaces and bathroom facilities for each child grouping
  • Provided additional outdoor equipment to reduce sharing
  • Increase cleaning and sanitation of high touch surfaces

 

WHEN A CHILD OR STAFF FALLS ILL

When a child or staff/volunteer falls ill or meets any portion of the outlined exclusion criteria while at the Day Camp, they will immediately be removed from the remainder of the group to the designated supervised

isolation area with a minimum distance of 2 meters while arrangements for pick up can be made. Grace Memorial will require that the child and staff/volunteer (until pick up occurs) wear a community face mask to decrease the risk of transmission. All parents are required to pick their child up within 1 hour of being notified of their child meeting their exclusion criteria. Parents are also required to send a community mask for their child that will remain in their book bag unless needed. Grace Memorial will also stock community masks and gloves at their facility. The Summer Ministry Director will report to their Office Manager should they have less than five community masks remaining onsite. The Director is responsible to ensure that the program is stocked with adequate supplies.

 

STAFF ABSENCE POLICY

Staff/volunteers are required to stay home from work when sick and to contact the Summer Ministry Director to advise of said illness. Unpaid sick time will be provided to staff/volunteers when they require time off due to illness. Prior to returning to work, staff/volunteers will ensure they have completed any/all exclusion criteria to do so.

Upon arriving daily, staff/volunteers will complete a self-assessment for pre-screening and fill out the required questionnaire. Should they not meet the outlined requirements, they are required to contact the Director prior to starting and abide by the 14 day self isolation period as outlined in the pre-screening questionnaire stipulated by Public Health.

 

ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPERATIONAL PLAN

Grace Memorial Day Camp Operational Plan will be provided to each staff/volunteer and a copy will also be available onsite for staff to refer to. Staff members and volunteers are required to attend an in-person training session relating to Grace Memorial’s Operational Plan, and to sign off that they have read and understood the information herein. The Day Camp program is assigned to the Summer Ministry Director; the Summer Ministry Director is responsible for the implementation, training, and monitoring of the outlined policies and procedures contained in this operational plan.

The safety and health of our staff, volunteers, children, and Grace Memorial families are our greatest priority, and should a parent/guardian, staff, volunteer, or child have a concern with the implementation of any of our practices/procedures outlined in this document, we ask that they please reach out to Grace Memorial’s office by phone at 458-8527, or by e-mail at gracememorialkids@gmail.com to speak with the Summer Ministry Director. The Director will follow up with staff, volunteers, children, and parents/guardians to assess any concerns.

Creating a safe and healthy environment in these unprecedented times is a task that we could not do without the support and understanding from our staff, volunteers and Grace Memorial families, and we thank you for your efforts as we work together to lower the risk of COVID-19 together.