Regulated child care facilities in New Brunswick are permitted to reopen on May 19 and the province has been developing health and safety guidelines for that to happen.
Education and Early Childhood Development minister Dominic Cardy admits getting through this pandemic is a shared risk.
“The only way we can avoid risk from the pandemic is by embracing a risk that would come with the destruction of our economy and the inability to collect taxes and pay for critical social programs,” he notes.
Cardy says provincial staff have been reaching out to all child care providers.
“This is to ensure they are aware of the requirements for reopening and have the appropriate training and support while developing their COVID-19 operational plans.”
Those requirements include developing a pandemic plan, keeping groups of children separated, enhanced cleaning inside each centre and screening for everyone entering the facility including parents, children and staff.
To help offset costs for operators, the province will provide child care centres with a monthly grant of $20 per licensed child care space to support enhanced cleaning protocols.
Cardy says the two-household bubble must be maintained.
He adds a staff member’s bubble and each child’s bubble must remain intact.
Anyone who has travelled outside of New Brunswick will not be allowed to visit child care facilities for 14 days.
Many child care centres plan to reopen on Tuesday but Cardy expects there will be staggered openings over the next few weeks.
The province has developed a guide for parents on reopening centres which can be found HERE
