With the beginning of the school year, the state’s children are facing their own personal challenges and their parents and caregivers need their social connections more than ever. This webinar series by Prevent Child Abuse Florida focuses on families remaining physically distant but socially close through technology and creativity.

The ongoing webinar series on the Protective Factors is called “Bringing the Protective Factors to Life.” The link to these webinars is on Prevent Child Abuse Florida’s home page at www.preventchildabusefl.org or click here to link directly to the series.

When Protective Factors are present in families, their protective capacities improve. When protective capacities are increased, families are more stable and children are safer. This series is about building support for families and paying attention to prevention.

Here is an important update for providers on School Readiness and Voluntary PreKindergarten payments for October.

Since March 2020, the Department of Education (DOE) and the Office of Early Learning (OEL), in coordination with the early learning coalitions, have allocated over $363 million in funds to support the state’s early learning and child care facilities through the COVID-19 pandemic – to help with cleaning supplies, teacher training, and to keep open and re-open providers. Getting these dollars in the hands of our early learning partners as quickly as possible was a top priority. Based on the feedback we have received, the timeliness of the funds provided much needed relief. These funds have come from the federal Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), the Preschool Development Grant, the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and general revenue funds.

DOE and OEL have worked to find flexible and meaningful ways to help providers meet the financial challenges brought on by the pandemic. From April through September, both SR and VPK providers were reimbursed based on enrollment instead of attendance. We know that this reimbursement has been a lifeline for many providers. However, given the fiscal impact of the reimbursement policy (an investment of over $363 million over the last 6 months) and a current 2% statewide closure rate of our contracted providers, we are making changes beginning in October for both SR and VPK. OEL will continue with the standard practice of paying for temporary closures due to COVID or another state emergency.

For open SR providers, you will be paid based on attendance in October but will be reimbursed for an additional 6 absences per SR child. Documentation for absences will not be required. This means that you will be reimbursed for up to 16 total absences or for 73% of the month without documentation as this was waived in a DOE executive Order. Please note, the absence reporting requirements in Rule 6M-4.500(4)(a)-(d), F.A.C., have not been waived. Providers are still required to report excessive absences.

In continued support of parents and providers, OEL will continue to reimburse providers for the required parent co-payments through the month of October.

For open VPK providers, starting in October, you will be reimbursed according to the “80/20 rule” consistent with the VPK contract. This means that you will be reimbursed 100% for students that attend at least 80% of the month.

We remain fully committed to working in partnership with early learning coalitions and our front line contracted early learning partners to support their efforts to serve Florida’s children, families and workforce.

If you have questions, you may contact you early learning coalition for more information.

According to the Florida Department of Children and Families Child Care training memo for providers, an additional competency exam extension has been granted to support the child care industry. The extension provides individuals who need to take their competency exams an additional 60-day extension from the prior extension deadline that had previously been set for September 21.

For further details regarding this extension and additional information pertaining to the memorandum, click here.

Department of Children and Families — Because of the restrictions placed on many child care programs from COVID-19, the Department of Children and Families, Office of Child Care Regulation, will temporarily modify the 480-hour work experience required to obtain a staff credential. The Department will allow up to 120 hours to be obtained virtually. The virtual experience must include interaction with children in any of the following ways:

• Story time (including discussion with children about the story).
• Participation in art projects and other activities that require directions be given (the teacher in the classroom will facilitate the projects with the children and will share the instructions with the student ahead of time so they can be a part of the process)
• Participation in Circle Time activities.
• Participation in Music and Movement activities.
• Participation in virtual mealtime so they can facilitate discussion with the children around mealtime behavior and healthy eating.

For the staff credential candidate to make the most of this virtual experience, it is suggested they participate in a combination of the above listed activities. The remaining 360 hours of work experience MUST be completed in person.

All virtual hours must be identified as virtual hours with a description of how the student interacted with the children in the child care program. These hours must also include a signature from the provider indicating that the hours were fulfilled accordingly.

CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions or need clarification regarding this guidance, please contact the Child Care Training Information Center at 888-352-2842.

Food & Drug Administration — The FDA is warning consumers and health care providers that the agency has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products that are labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but that have tested positive for methanol contamination. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening when ingested.

The agency is aware of adults and children ingesting hand sanitizer products contaminated with methanol that has led to recent adverse events including blindness, hospitalizations and death.

Methanol is not an acceptable active ingredient for hand sanitizers and must not be used due to its toxic effects. FDA’s investigation of methanol in certain hand sanitizers is ongoing. The agency will provide additional information as it becomes available.

For more information, click here.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families are facing stressful situations and might be feeling overwhelmed. Some families are facing unemployment with rent or mortgage payments as well as other family problems. If families are experiencing an emergency, they should call 9-1-1. For all other stressful situations, the Children’s Home Society of Florida is offering free access to its 24-hour Family Support Warm Line.

The Family Support Warm Line is available to provide compassionate counselors to family members of all ages: adults, teens, and children. Any family member may call or text 1-888-733-6303 or click here to get advice from a knowledgeable counselor, receive mental health support, or have someone listen to their problems and help them reflect or plan options they may consider.

The experienced counselors offer support for anxiety, depression, suicide, domestic violence, mental health support, general safety and well-being, adoption support, family counseling, caregiver counseling, referring to local resources, and other general support.

Family Resource Centers are one way to help support families, prevent child abuse and neglect, and prevent children from entering foster care. On this installment of the Bringing Protective Factors to Life series, Prevent Child Abuse Florida discusses what resource centers are, what services they provide, and how Partnership for Strong Families in Gainesville utilizes this model to effectively serve families.

The webinar at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 30, will also discuss how this concept got started in this area and what it takes to be successful with this approach. To register for this webinar, click here.

The Florida Department of Children and Families shared, on June 5, guidance for child care providers:

GENERAL OPERATIONS:

Child care programs should adhere to the Governor’s Executive Order 20-131 Child care programs that remain operational and continue to provide services, should operate under the following conditions, to the extent possible, as outlined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Implement social distancing strategies; e.g. where possible, child care groups should remain in the same groups daily.
• Maintain an adequate ratio of staff to children to ensure safety.
  • Children and child care providers shall not change from one group to another.
  • If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group shall be in a separate room and not mix or interact with each other.
• Intensify cleaning and disinfection efforts, including devising a schedule, and focus on toys, games, and other objects and surfaces that are frequently used.
• Modify drop-off and pick-up procedures to include thorough screening — all individuals entering a facility should be screened according to CDC guidelines.

The CDC guidance for child care programs that remain open is available for reference: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-childcare.html

CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19:

If there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 at the child care program, the local county health department will provide guidance and next steps. In addition, the facility should close temporarily and reopen at the direction of the local health department and notify parents and other relevant contacts.

1. Coordinate with local county health department.
2. Communicate with parents and providers.
3. Dismiss children and child care providers in impacted spaces.
4. Clean and disinfect thoroughly.

Cleaning and disinfecting after individuals confirmed to have COVID-19 have been in the facility:

• It is recommended to close off areas that the individual entered or neared.
• Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area. If possible, wait up to 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfecting.
• Staff should clean and disinfect all areas (e.g., offices, bathrooms, and common areas) used by the individual, focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces.
• Observe/evaluate staff and children who may have come into contact with the individual in question for early signs or symptoms.

Additional information may be found on the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html. 

If your child is scared of wearing a mask, parents should wear masks too so your child doesn’t feel alone. Here are some other ideas, from the Florida Department of Education, to help make masks seem less scary:

• While wearing masks, look in the mirror and talk about it.
• Put a mask on a favorite stuffed animal.
• Decorate a mask so it’s more personalized and fun.
• Show your child pictures of other children wearing masks.
• Draw a mask on their favorite book character.
• Have your child practice wearing a mask at home first.

For children under 3 years old, it’s best to answer their questions simply in a language they understand. If children ask about people wearing masks or other face coverings, parents can explain that sometimes people wear masks when they are sick, and when they are all better, they stop wearing the mask.

An important way to reassure children is to emphasize how you are taking steps to stay safe. Children feel empowered and less afraid when they know what to do to keep themselves safe.

For children over age 3, try focusing on germs. Parents can explain that germs are special to your own body and we need to make sure they stay within your body. The masks help keep your own germs to yourself. Some germs are good, some are bad – we can’t always tell which are good or bad, which is why you need to wear a mask.  

Some germs can make you sick. We make sure you keep those germs away from your own body. One of the biggest challenges with having children wear masks relates to them “feeling different” or stereotyping them as being sick.

If this becomes more of a norm, it will help children not to feel singled out or isolated, and they may feel strange not wearing something.

Are you concerned about what options you have for completing your instructor-led training? Are you a teacher/provider that’s wondering how to fulfill your training requirements from a remote environment? These questions are more relevant than ever. Our interactive-classes are available to help you navigate this new normal.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Instructor-Led DCF State-Mandated Classes for the upcoming months will be offered as virtual-interactive online classes that will give students the opportunity to interact with an instructor online as outlined for the instructor-led class requirements.

Here are upcoming Interactive GoToMeeting DCF Course listings:

• July-August
• September

Virtual classes will be guided by the instructor online and will allow for student participation. For further details, please contact the 4C Education Department at 407-532-4158.

4C EDUCATION & TRAINING