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Announcement: C-20-06 REVISED
Interim Guidance for Certified Child Care Facilities Operating During the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic
The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the Announcement: C-20-06 REVISED, Interim Guidance for Certified Child Care Facilities operating during the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic . This Announcement provides certified child care facilities with interim guidance for operating a facility during the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This guidance covers policies and procedures providers should implement during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides certified child care facilities with guidance on how to handle a positive COVID-19 case or exposure to a positive COVID-19 case in child care facilities.  This revised version of C-20-06 includes updated information related to face coverings and corrections to text in the original announcement. These updates and corrections are provided in red text within the document. 

Following the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued on March 6, 2020 by Governor Tom Wolf, statewide mitigation efforts were put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. As Pennsylvania has transitioned into a phased reopening of the state, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) acknowledges the need for guidance on operating a facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Child care facilities that continue to remain open or that are preparing to reopen should follow the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). The guidance details the steps providers are recommended to follow in order to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on child care facilities. OCDEL developed this guidance based on recommendations from the CDC and DOH and it is subject to change. Health and safety guidance for child care facilities during COVID-19 is outlined in this document.

Topics addressed in this guidance include:
  1. Reopening
  2. Transmission and Symptoms of COVID-19
  3. Practices, Policies, and Procedures for Consideration
  4. Social Distancing in the Child Care Setting
  5. Face Masks
  6. Dealing with confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and exposure to COVID-19
  7. Reporting
  8. Additional Resources

For details, including updated information related to face coverings, please see the Announcement: C-20-06 REVISED, Interim Guidance for Certified Child Care Facilities operating during the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic .
The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning supports families 
and their children, from prenatal through school age, by using data, research and 
stakeholder guidance to assure high quality services.