GSC and RC COVID-19 Guidance & Resources

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued interim guidance for safely resuming K-12 schools and summer day camps, laid out in a series of three steps.

This information is intended for child care programs that remain open, and should be used in conjunction with CDC’s guidance for administrators of child care programs and K-12 schools.   This guidance does not supersede state and local laws and policies for child care programs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has posted a Supplemental Guide for Child Care. Written in collaboration with the Offices of Child Care and Head Start for a variety of child care settings, this resource provides guidance specific to child care on issues such as:

• Social distancing;
• Child pick up and drop off procedures;
• Cleaning and disinfecting of toys and bedding;
• Safely caring for infants and toddlers; and
• Food preparation and meal service

In addition, the Guidance document provides numerous links to resources that provide even greater detail, including information regarding children’s risks concerning the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Plan, Prepare, and Respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

This webinar features resources and practices to support infants, toddlers, families, and teachers during times of national disasters.

Information around feeding Michigan’s children during this time. 

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has received a number of inquiries regarding a mandated closure of schools due to a state or federally declared Public Health Emergency and the potential impact of such a closure on the Great Start Collaboratives (GSCs) and Great Start Parent Coalitions (GSPCs) funded trainings, services, meetings, and program compliance requirements.

The Michigan Department of Education Learning at a Distance Guidance. This document is a work in progress, a largely teacher-written effort to help address the immediate needs of staff who must address the immediate needs of children – at a distance – during a pandemic. 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan legislature have come to agreement on certain parameters regarding the upcoming school year. House Bills 5911, 5912, and 5913 were passed by the Senate on Saturday and the House of Representatives earlier today. Governor Whitmer is expected to sign them into law when they reach her desk.

This link is to the Early Childhood “Instructional Resources” on the MDE COVID-19 page. 

Child care providers across the state have always prioritized the health and safety of the children in their care. With the spread of COVID-19, new health and safety protocols are necessary to ensure children, families, and staff members are as safe as possible. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has developed a guidance document to provide tools to help you make the best decisions possible to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to create safe spaces for children and staff members.

On March 18, 2020, Governor Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-16 expanding child care access during the COVID-19 emergency. The order provides that strict compliance with section 7a and subsection (2) of section 5m of the Child Care Organizations Act, 1973 PA 116, as amended, is suspended.

The order provides that a provisional license may be issued in a manner consistent with the order and that a child care license is not required for an employer, or for a school district, or nonpublic school to establish and maintain a disaster relief child care center in a school building. The order further requires LARA to issue rules and/or orders governing disaster relief child care centers.

This memorandum provides updated guidance as of April 2, 2020 for licensed child care providers during the COVID-19 state emergency.

This memorandum provides updated guidance for licensed child care providers during the COVID-19 state emergency.

This Family Wellness Guide was created by MDHHS and contains some good guidance when talking with families and children during the crisis.

Well-designed and thoughtfully executed online courses can effectively engage adult learners in high quality, engaging individual, small group, and whole group learning. This webinar will provide examples of how to develop and deliver content, support interaction including small group activities, promote reflection, and manage assignments as part of an online course.

This webinar focused on policies and strategies for use by technical assistance providers and child care professionals to increase mindfulness and self-care.

This article has some practical tips for facilitating virtual meetings.

In an effort to support families and teachers, the NC Office of Early Learning has created weekly family resources for home learning that do not require technology for children ages Birth through Grade 2. There are also links to many digital resources.

This Executive Order replaces Executive Order 2020-35 and includes language related to early childhood programs.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to facilitate a speedy, whole-of-government response in confronting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), keeping everyone safe, and helping detect and slow the spread of the virus. To keep the public, media and family members of those in custody and other stakeholders informed, we will update this site frequently during this extremely fluid situation.

Consistent with its sensitive locations policy, during the COVID-19 crisis, ICE will not carry out enforcement operations at or near health care facilities, such as hospitals, doctors' offices, accredited health clinics, and emergent or urgent care facilities, except in the most extraordinary of circumstances. Individuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement.