Below are frequently asked questions related to our COVID-19 safety protocols.

What programs are you offering at this time for children?

Our Full Day Early Childhood Program is open for children 6 weeks to 5 years old at our main location 1420 Maple Avenue. Our Head Start Program for children 3 to 5 years old is also open at 2010 Dewey Avenue. Finally, our School's Out after-school program is open at both of our Maple and Dewey locations for K-5th graders.

What are the group sizes in each classroom? Are children being combined with other classes?

Children are kept in the same group with consistent staff every day including meal, snack, rest, and play periods. Our program has additional teaching staff assigned to each classroom to assure safe care and supervision of all children. While we maintain smaller group sizes than regulated, the maximum group sizes are determined by DCFS and may be subject to change based on further DCFS regulations.

Are there new hours of operation?

Our hours of operation at our Maple location are 7:00am - 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Our hours of operation at our Dewey location are 7:30am - 6:00pm Monday through Friday.

What are the drop-off and pick-up protocols?

Daily health checks will be performed for both staff and families. Any person who displays signs of illness will not be allowed to enter in the facility.

We ask that each family utilizes a School Wellness Screener app before arriving to the center. Once the health pre-check is completed, a bar code will be displayed in the app, which then must be shown to the classroom teacher upon drop-off.

Upon arriving, the parent/guardian must clean their own and their child(ren)’s hands with hand sanitizer and must wear a face covering and assure that their child(ren) age two and older wear a face covering as well.

When the parent/guardian brings their child(ren) to the classroom door, parents sign in on the classroom daily Sign-in Sheet.

Parents/guardians will not be allowed to enter the classrooms.

Does my child need to wear a mask?

Face masks are required for all individuals age two and older who are able to medically tolerate a face covering, regardless of their vaccination status, consistent
with CDC guidance. All staff, family members, and children ages 2 and up are required to wear a face mask that covers the mouth and nose at all times in all areas inside and outside of our buildings. Children are not required to wear masks when eating or during rest time (their cots are spaced 6 feet apart).

What if I forget my mask? Do you have masks available?

The McGaw YMCA will provide masks to both children and adults upon request.

What are the handwashing protocols?

We follow DCFS guidelines on handwashing protocols. Hand washing is required for all staff, children, family members, and visitors. Children are assisted and monitored by staff while washing their hands to learn personal hygiene. Hand sanitizer is provided in spaces where hand washing is not available.

What are we allowed to bring from home?

Families provide a photo of the family for the classroom’s family board, 3 sets of extra change of weather-appropriate clothing, a pair of indoors shoes to change into, diapers (if needed), wipes (if needed), infant bottles (if applicable), and any needed lotion or sunscreen. We provide rest time blankets or sleeping sacks, individualized art, play and rest time materials for each child.

How are rest time and meal times handled?

Our Infant classrooms offer children nap times on individual bases. Our Toddlers through Pre-Kindergarten classrooms have scheduled 1:00-3:00 PM rest time. We provide sleeping sacks to our infants and sleeping blankets to all children 12 months and older. All rest time sheets, sleeping sacks and blankets are washed daily and all cribs and cots are assigned to individual children and disinfected daily. Cribs and cots are spaced 6 feet apart and children do not wear masks during that time. For children who are not able to sleep during the designated rest time, we provide individualized art materials and quiet toys.

We offer breakfast, lunch, and afternoon and evening snacks, Infant formula, cereal and jar food. During meal times children are spaced apart or sneeze guards are used. Children are allowed to remove their mask during meals. All meals are pre-plated by staff wearing gloves.

What cleaning protocols are followed?

Enhanced cleaning protocols are in place throughout our facilities. All classroom equipment is cleaned throughout the day and after closing each day. Each classroom utilizes a sanitation bin for used toys and materials will be individualized and rotated. Frequently touched surfaces (examples: stair handrails and door handles) will be cleaned every two hours or as needed each day with disinfectant. Laundry of soft items (examples: blankets, sleeping sacks, sheets, bibs, etc.) is completed regularly, and cots are sanitized daily. Playground equipment is sanitized after each use.

What should we do if my child becomes ill?

Stay home if you feel sick. A child should not attend school if they show symptoms of fever, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, strep, thrush, conjunctivitis aka “pink-eye”, any COVID-19 related symptoms (see below for further instructions), or any contagious childhood diseases. When a child is 24-hour symptom free, non-contagious, and can comfortably participate in our programs, they may return with a Release to Care Doctor’s Note.

• If your pediatrician indicates in writing that your child’s symptoms are a non-contagious cause, such as teething, or reaction to an immunization, and your child is well enough to participate in activities of the group, an exception may be made.

The McGaw YMCA Children’s Center makes decisions on exclusion and return to care based on information from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Center for Disease Control and other health care agencies as appropriate. If a child becomes ill while at school with any of the above symptoms or communicable illnesses, you will be contacted (emergency contacts listed will be contacted if you are not available) and asked to pick up your child within one hour. Children will be sent with a familiar staff member to our illness isolation room until they are picked up by their family. Children can return once they get treatment or are no longer contagious based on a doctor’s note.

• Lice Policy & Procedure: If head lice are found on a child, they will be sent home and can return to the Center the morning after one treatment of delousing shampoo and with no active lice or nits. Children returning after having lice must be checked by administration before entering a classroom and will be checked a week later. If nits are found on a child's head, they will be monitored throughout the day at school and parents will be notified at the end of the day. Please wash blankets and clothing from school in hot water to prevent re-infestation.
• Unexplained irritability, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc: If your child seems sick, is acting or looking different, please don’t bring your child to the Center. Children are often most contagious when an illness is just starting.

You will be notified of confirmed communicable illnesses and associated symptoms in your child's classroom. If required, we will report the illness to the Health Department and DCFS. Children, who are under immunized and in a classroom that has a confirmed case of a communicable disease or a sibling’s classroom has a confirmed case of a communicable disease, will be excluded from the program for 3-5 days or until a doctor’s note clears them to return to childcare.

What should we do if my child displays any COVID-19 related symptoms?

What would happen if my child shows signs of illness while at the Children’s Center?

If a child in our care shows signs of a communicable illness, the child will be isolated in a designated isolation room immediately. While in isolation, the child will be made comfortable and remain with a familiar caregiver wearing PPE until the parent or legal guardian picks up the child. The parent/guardian is expected to pick up the child from care within one hour. The parent will be asked to sign the Childcare Exclusion Form detailing the observed symptoms of illness as well as information on required follow up steps. This form might be shared with the Evanston Health Department.

What should we do if exposed to COVID-19?

Please let us know, and stay home if you have had exposure to COVID-19. Children must stay home if they have had known exposure to a person infected with COVID-19 within the previous 14 days.

What would be done if there is a positive COVID-19 case in the Children’s Center?

If a child or a staff member has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the child or the staff member will be excluded from the program until written documentation is provided by the staff/child’s physician that the staff/child is no longer communicable and may return to the program. Both DCFS and the Evanston Health Department will be notified of the positive COVID-19 case immediately. The program will work with the Evanston Health Department to determine a course of action for the program.

Will I know if there is a positive COVID-19 case at the Children’s Center?

A close contact illness letter will be distributed via email to all families and staff members who may have been exposed to COVID-19 while also maintaining the confidentiality of the infected person. The letter will also include any guidelines as prescribed by the Evanston Health Department regarding any need for closure. A letter to all staff and families will be distributed in a timely fashion.

Will the Children’s Center close if there is a positive COVID-19 case reported?

In the event that there is a reported child or staff positive COVID-19 test, the programs will follow the Evanston Health Department guidance regarding any protocols to implement, including closure, cleaning, and sanitation.

In the event of an emergency closure occurring before opening, you will be contacted via the Constant Contact email system. Emergency closures will also be posted on the Emergency Closing Center. Please sign up for email notifications through the website http://www.emergencyclosingcenter.com/ . You may also contact the front desk at the main McGaw YMCA building, 847-475-7400, for information.

Will the Children’s Center close due to a high number of COVID-19 cases in the community?

We will only close our programs if a governing body orders childcare programs to close due to the Pandemic.

What is your travel policy?

Stay home if you’ve recently traveled to a hot spot. We are asking everyone to comply with all CDC, local and McGaw travel guidelines.

Due to COVID-19 safety regulations, we are not able to conduct our swim lessons at this time. We will offer a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) enrichment program to all children in our Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Full Day, and Kindergarten through 2^nd Grade Afterschool classrooms, starting October 2021. We are in the process of revising our music and movement classes so they provide meaningful educational opportunities for children and meet all safety requirements. As we continue to look for ways to enrich the children’s learning experiences, we have partnered with the University of Chicago to implement their math and literacy program, Getting on Track for School Success (GoT).

How will parent-teacher conferences be conducted?

We will continue to offer parent-teacher conferences to all families. A child’s progress note will be shared with all families via TeachingStrategies.com and meetings will take place using Zoom video conferencing software.

Are parents allowed in the classrooms?

Unfortunately, parents are not allowed to enter the classrooms at this time.

How can parents communicate with teachers?

Our teachers can be reached via phone or email during our hours of operation, the best time to reach a teacher via phone would be during rest time, 1:00-3:00 PM. In addition to Teaching Strategies.com, where lesson plans and children’s progress notes are shared, we have implemented the Class Dojo app for regular updates and messages to go home. Daily Chart Forms will continue to be used in our Infant, Toddler, and Two’s classrooms.

Are you currently offering tours for prospective families?

The Children’s Center is offering both in-person and virtual tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We do accommodate alternate time slots on an as-needed basis. Tours must be scheduled in advance, and in-person tour groups are limited to 2 adults and 2 children per tour. To schedule a tour, please complete our online tour request form here, or contact us at 847-475-8580.

Who should I contact if I have further questions?

You may reach us via email at childrenscenterinfo@mcgawymca.org or by phone at 847-475-8580.

We use CDC, DCFS, IDPH, and EDH guidelines to make decisions regarding COVID policies.