Dear parents, I know things are difficult now, but we as a community will work together to get through this challenging period. Please look at the attachment to see if any of your professions fall under the criteria to receive child care.

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On March 22, 2020, Governor Newsom issued a new public health order affecting all California child care providers, including family child care homes. That order says you can only stay open to care for children of essential workers and must use heightened cleaning and distancing rules for COVID-19. This means that there is now a statewide order to close all child care centers and family child care homes unless they care for a parent or guardian child working in one of the 16 essential sectors.

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The Governor explains that essential services are things like: gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, food banks, take-out and delivery, banks, laundry, agriculture, healthcare, transportation, communications, and essential state and local government functions.

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Here is the Q&A on child care from the Governor’s new public health order:

“Are daycares still open? Can my babysitter still come to the house?

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Yes. Daycares are still open, but only for children of parents working in essential sectors. Daycare centers that remain open should employ heightened cleaning and distancing requirements. Babysitters may also come to the house to care for minors of parents working in essential sectors.” https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/

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Community Care Licensing guided what child care providers should do to prevent, contain and reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. See PIN 20-04-CCP. At this time, Licensing is still encouraging providers to stay open if they can do so safely. This guidance is now modified by the Governor’s Order limiting child care centers and homes to only caring for children of our essential workforce. See, Essential Critical Workforce.

 

Child Care Law Center at www.childcarelaw.org/