Buddings has always held that decisions about family health should be left to families, and that will continue to be our position. Informing ourselves, taking responsibility for our actions, and sharing what we know with our members, have always been our practice, and with that in mind, I acknowledge:
2020 is not a normal year
As we roll into our third pandemic season, reducing the spread of COVID-19 has become the world's top priority. It's not impossible, and the same practices can prevent colds, flus, and every other communicable disease from getting around as well!
Staying home when sick (and for 24 hours after symptoms abate) not only gives your body the chance to rest and recover, it keeps all your coworkers, teachers, friends, and community from getting your illness.
Updates to Childcare centres from Vancouver Coastal Health this summer DO NOT recommend that children or caregivers wear masks at daycare. Studies have shown that transmission rates among children under 5 are extremely low, and we have been advised that it is not necessary to keep 2m between them. Rather, the priority we have been given is to teach children not to touch each other, or their faces, and to wash their hands properly.
We wear masks when we go to the supermarket, or take the elevator down to the garbage room. We keep 2m between ourselves in public, and stay away from people we don't know.
The Government of Canada recommends a flu shot for everyone over 6 months of age. Reducing your susceptibility to influenza WILL NOT protect you from COVID-19, but neither will it give you the flu, or harm the ones you love. It is especially recommended for:
- People with health conditions
- Children under 5 years old
- Pregnant women
- Those providing essential services or working in the care industry...
Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe
We rely on families to make good choices when attending daycare, and to keep in mind that ours is a social space, full of vulnerable people who are still learning how to keep themselves safe. That's our job! And we can't do it if they are not well enough to learn.
What does that mean?
In young children at daycare, a runny nose, or a sore throat, without other symptoms, is not necessarily a concern, as long as they are happy and otherwise in good spirits and health.
Regardless of the cause of the cough, fever, or gastrointestinal malady (ex: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain), we do not want to infect any of the other children, OR THE STAFF!!! ... ahem... Please stay home for 24 hours after symptoms abate before returning.
If you or your child are feeling ill, please do not come to Buddings. Try not to go anywhere.
Cancel your booking with one hour's notice by calling the centre, and move all your hours into the next month without penalty if you need more time to recover. Children who become ill while in our care will have to be isolated in the nap room until someone can come pick them up, and while we will be sanitizing like crazy, an outbreak at Buddings will shut us down for at least two weeks. Even in that case, we will not be able to offer refunds for unused hours. Please do not buy more than you can use... or lose.
We appreciate your trust, and we hold our position in your bubble with utmost seriousness. Thank you for doing the same.