Post Covid19 A Guide to Returning to Early Years Care Education

Running an award winning preschool and Montessori, Susan gives us her advice and views on how best to cope with all the changes in childcare through Covid

As parents and carers face the daunting task of deciding to return to Early Years Education, rest assured that Early Year’s services are putting the care and wellbeing of your child first. While the post Covid19 reopening will look a little different in Early Years settings, we are fortunate as Montessori Schools to already operate our centres along similar lines to ‘play-pods’. In simple terms, children will be allocated a specific place in a specific classroom, for set times and days, with a specific group of friends, being cared for by specific Early Years Teachers. Children are not expected to Social Distance as they play and learn together. Nurturing relationships between Teachers and little ones are vital for emotional wellbeing and feelings of security and safety. Both of our centres, Mounthawk Montessori & Busy Bees Nursery as well as Maureen’s Childcare Centre, enjoy purpose built large outdoor classrooms, poly tunnels, natural planting, and learning areas, as well as state of the art indoor learning facilities. This ensures that all of our individual ‘play pods’ can access our Montessori Schools, indoor and outdoor natural areas and gardens safely, allowing for minimal cross over between families on arrival and departure. Our health and safety signage is child friendly with clear and simple visual task analysis to support children’s understanding of our new routines. Statistics indicate that CoVid 19 transmission is reduced in the outdoor environment while also promoting Holistic Development. Parent rest and waiting areas are available on the grounds, supporting you to chat and engage with each other and us at a social distance. Parents can apply for funding towards their Childcare Fees, including before and after Free Pre-school & After-school under the NCS Scheme

www.ncs.gov.ie. Online parent application form is available at.

The most notable difference on arrival to your Early Years setting, is that CoVid 19 Regulations mean that parent’s will drop children at the door of the setting, rather than accessing the building. Staff may be wearing visors at the entrance for handover but not while working with the children in the classrooms. Hand sanitising, increased hand washing, social distancing and correct cough and sneeze etiquette will be the new norm. Lunches will be brought into the setting in zip lock bags, no personal items or school bags from home may be brought into the environment. Children that are unwell must stay at home for 72 hours.

To support the children’s transition back to Day Care and ECCE Pre-school on August 24th and to prepare pre-schoolers to transition to Primary School, we have ‘Stay and Play’ sessions in our settings each morning. We also are happy to provide much needed Childcare for Frontline and Essential Workers. We are very proud of our wonderful children, our highly qualified Degree led team and the families in our centres as they have adapted to the new norm. Our objective within the Early Years Sector is to support the children’s emotional well-being and feelings of connection with their Teachers, friends, and school community, whilst also supporting our ethos of ‘parents as partners’ during these uncertain times. Our Teachers as well as many other Early Years Educators, have been busy upskilling, including Infection Prevention & Control QQI with Kerry College, Monavally, enhancing our preparation for reopening and introducing new policies and procedures to safeguard all stakeholders post CoVid19.

As always, we look forward to welcoming all children and families back to Early Year’s Care & Education from August 24th for our new term and are confident that we can reopen safely, in a warm and nurturing manner, with the little ones at the heart of all that we do ! Quirke’s for Quality.