The Rundown: Childcare During COVID
Being a business owner is a balancing act. What kind of balancing act that is; seems to depend on the industry. But one of the many red-threads in this balance act is family. Parents, nieces, brothers, sisters- children of your own; family is always part of the equation. For many business owners, childcare is an aspect of family that has been drastically complicated during COIVD response and recovery. With reopening efforts continuing, here are some helpful resources and a brief rundown of everything you need to know about Childcare in Springfield, as it stands in now.
Re-Opening Safely
On August 14, the Early Learning Division, in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority, released the new “Health and Safety Guidelines for Child Care and Early Education Operating in COVID-19.”
The updated guidelines take effect Tuesday, September 1, 2020 —providers may implement the changes earlier, as long as they implement all of the guidelines. Click here to read how the guidelines were developed and to view 14 sections detailing requirements and recommendations.
Child Care for Essential Workers
Essential Workers are prioritized to receive Emergency Child Care. This includes first responders, emergency workers, health care professionals, critical operations staff and essential personnel, and other individuals working outside of the home.
Following Oregon Governor Brown’s announcement and the Statewide Standards for Child Care released on May 13, providers must continue to prioritize care for essential workers and may also serve families who return to work in phased reopening
Common Questions
Q: Can my child receive care from an Emergency Child Care facility?
Yes, essential workers should still be given priority but as Oregon reopens other families will need care to return to work. Providers have flexibility to serve more families with the phased reopening.
Q: Who is considered an “Essential Worker”?
Click here for guidance on how to determine if you are an Essential Worker. Essential Workers are prioritized to receive Emergency Child Care. This includes first responders, emergency workers, health care professionals, critical operations staff and essential personnel, and other individuals working outside of the home.
Q: How do I sign up for Emergency Child Care?
To receive a customized referral to emergency child care programs contact 211info by:
- Calling 211. Listen to the prompt for Child Care and press the specified number.
- Texting the keyword “children” or “niños” to 898211 (TXT211).
- Emailing children@211info.org.
- Click here to visit the website.
HOURS: Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. From the referral list, you can choose the Emergency Child Care program that best suits your needs.
Q: Have there been recent updates?
The Oregon Healthy Authority releases the “COVID-19 Weekly Report” every Wednesday. Click here to check for recent updates.
211.org
A really incredible resource that I love to share with people is 211.org. Not only is it the go-to resource for Emergency Child Care during COVID but it’s a community lifeline. It’s a service provided by United Way that connects you with a huge array of local resources. They do really important work to help people in need of assistance. From suicide prevention to domestic abuse, sexual assault and now, COVID assistance- if you, or someone you know is in a difficult situation and requires assistance, keep them 211.org mind. Or call 211, in Oregon, if you can’t find the answer you need online.
If figuring out childcare has been part of your balancing act during this difficult time, I hope this rundown was helpful and gave you a shortlist of resources to check one more item off your, what I assume is an overflowing, checklist. If you need any other information about COVID recovery efforts or resources, check out The Chamber’s Business Resource Hub.
Take care, shop local and be well!
