Little Castle Learning Center COVID-19 policy
The health and wellbeing of our staff and families are our highest priorities. In the interest of limiting the opportunity for transmission to our center and community, Little Castle will follow the following precautionary measures.
Little Castle will follow recommendations from the CDC if a staff member, staff member’s family, child, child’s family has tested positive for COVD-19, believes to have been exposed, or has symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection.
Per CDC Guidelines, you must meet the following criteria before returning to the center after exposure to or diagnosis with COVID-19:
You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use medicine that reduces fevers) AND
other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved) AND
at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared
Household members include individuals who may not live in the household but may be staying there or are otherwise present in the household on a regular basis (e.g. extended family members, home health workers, contractors, etc.) and includes anyone with pick-up or drop-off privileges at the center.
Close contact is defined by the CDC as (1) being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time and can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case, or (2) having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being coughed on). Considerations when assessing close contact include the duration of exposure and the clinical symptoms of the person with COVID-19.
Our regular Child Illness Policy remains in place, which states, in part:
Children need to remain home for 24 hours without symptoms and fever reducing medication before returning to the program, unless the center receives a note from the child’s medical provider stating that the child is not contagious and may return to the center. In the case of a (suspected) contagious disease, rash, or continuing symptoms, a note from the child’s medical provider may be required before the child can return.
Children need to remain home or will be sent home of they have a fever of 100 degrees of higher.
The time frame of this policy will be superseded by the CDC guidelines above in any case of COVID-19 exposure or symptoms of COVID-19.
Little Castle Learning Center will follow all orders given by the NM Governor.
Little Castle Learning Center will also follow guidelines from CYFD.
Tuition Payments during COVID-19
Little Castle Learning Center understands the hardship and financial stress a pandemic event can cause its families. To help ease the financial stress Little Castle will offer half off tuition to “non-essential” private pay families in the event of a “stay at home” order, or “shelter in place” order. This will be offered as a onetime discount for the month of April. Tuition payment will be due by April 15th. Families may make a payment over the phone, myprocare.com, or by requesting auto withdraw. Little Castle will not honor any vacation credits during the pandemic event.
If a family is unable to make a tuition payment they will have the option of being placed on the waiting list, but they will not keep their current enrollment. Please contact the Executive Director before assuming your child will be dis-enrolled. Final decisions will be made by the Executive Director on a case by case bases.
If a family does not make a payment by April 15th and no attempt to contact Little Castle about tuition payment is made, the family will be dis-enrolled from Little Castle.
In the event Little Castle must close its doors for any reason during the COVID-19 pandemic, tuition for all private pay families will be half the family’s tuition rate. Tuition payment will be due by the 15th of the month.
We ask that families communicate their needs with Little Castle, so we can do our best to work with families. We thank you for your patience as we navigate through this challenging situation. We are grateful to our families and we will get through this.