We thank our child care providers for their dedication to Delaware’s children, and their efforts to keep children and staff safe during this time. From April 6 and through Phase 1, child care may only be provided by child care centers and child care homes that have been designated as “Emergency Child Care Sites” by the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF).

Information for Families

If you are an essential employee or an employee of a reopened business who is unable to work from home and you do not have alternative child care available, your child can receive care at an Emergency Child Care Site.

Parents will need to fill out the below forms in order to enroll children in emergency child care. In order to use emergency child care, parents must certify that they work for an essential or reopened business and cannot work from home (see the DSCYF Essential Personnel form).

DSCYF Essential Personnel Form – Revised 5/5/20

Temporary Enrollment Forms

DSCYF Temporary Child Information Card

• Tarjeta Temporal de Información del Menor

DSCYF Temporary Enrollment Form

• Formulario de Inscripción de Centro de Atención Infantil de Emergencia Temporal

DSCYF Temporary Health History Form

• Formulario de Historial de Salud de Cuidado Infantil de Emergencia Temporal

Resources

These are recommendations from Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families with guidance from Delaware Division of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Share information with parents and staff about steps to protect themselves and keep others safe. Communicate regularly.
• Know the symptoms of coronavirus.
• Monitor for illness and temperatures. Ask parents to check their child’s temperature before coming to child care. Have staff monitor their temperature before coming to work. If the temperature is at or above 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit, the child or staff member should stay home.
• Strictly enforce the provider’s illness policy for both children and staff.
  • Encourage staff and children to stay home when sick.
  • Develop a process to identify and act on sending children and staff home if sick.
  • Separate sick students and adults from others until they can go home.
  • Keep a log of children and adults who are absent.
  • Collect contact information, including phone numbers, to coordinate pick up for children if they are sick.
• Increase handwashing procedures throughout the day for staff and children. Use soap and water and scrub vigorously for at least 20 seconds.
• Rigorously implement cleaning for toys and surfaces, including tables, shelves, trash cans, sinks, door knobs and other materials available to staff and children. Regularly launder soft items such as bedding and clothing.
• Remind staff and children to avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
• Encourage social distancing in all aspects of child care. For example:
  • Curbside drop off and pick up
  • Ask caregivers to not bring in toys and other items from home, unless necessary
  • When planning activities practice social distancing, such as space between children during activities, if possible.
• Increase the frequency of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting child care spaces.
• Continually review and update plans.