Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
NARA continues to monitor the current situation and provide updated information, as available. NARA staff continue to work normal business hours, and are available to assist you as always. Please visit our Contact page or Board page for contact information and hours of operation. In an effort to assist licensing and regulatory professionals worldwide dealing with Coronavirus (COVID-19) related to planning and safety, the following information and resources are being provided. Please see NARA's latest papers on: Please use the following resources to assist your efforts: Did you know that NARA has continued to host multiple Facilitated Dialogue calls for licensing and regulatory professionals?
The purpose of these facilitated dialogues is for discussing and sharing what is happening, and how licensing agencies are responding to COVID-19. The Facilitated Dialogue calls are currently on hold. Stay tuned for more information soon.
NARA has sent out a series of surveys related to COVID-19. Please find the survey responses below:
We are also looking to collect and provide responses that municipalities are using to respond to this pandemic. Please feel free to provide us with your response and any resource(s) you find helpful so we can share these publicly. Please send these, with any relevant links, to us at [email protected]. The following information is provided by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families: Information about COVID-19 for CCDF Lead Agencies: Relevant Flexibilities in CCDF law Coronavirus Prevention and Response
The Office of Child Care (OCC) recognizes that State, Territory and Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies are concerned about the impact the coronavirus may have on their programs and other programs they work with. Child care providers should take steps to prevent the introduction and spread of coronavirus among their staff, children, and families. Through collaboration and coordination with local health departments, programs can take steps to disseminate information about the disease and its potential transmission. In addition, CCDF Lead Agencies can adopt subsidy policies that promote continuity of child care services to impacted children and families, and that maintain support for child care businesses during closures or other disrupters.
Understanding Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19)
There is more to learn about its transmission, severity, and other features, as well as what may happen in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides up-to-date information about prevention, symptoms, testing, and the current situation. They also offer guidance to help administrators of public and private child care programs and K–12 schools prevent the spread of COVID-19 among students and staff.
CCDF Guidance
The Office of Child Care (OCC) is directing State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies to an Information Memorandum (IM) published in 2017 that is helpful to answer questions regarding how they may use flexibilities and waivers in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program to address the impact of the coronavirus:
Information Memorandum on Statewide Disaster Plan (or Disaster Plan for a Tribe’s service area) for Child Care (CCDF-ACF-IM-17-02; https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/resource/im-2017-02.
Options available to State, Territory, and Tribal Lead Agencies include:
In some cases, states may need to enact state legislation or regulation in order to take advantage of these flexibilities. They also may need to submit a Plan amendment or waiver request to OCC. Please contact OCC regional staff for guidance.
OCC has developed a frequently asked questions resource guide in response to COVID-19 questions received so far. OCC will post the FAQ guide on this webpage and will update it on a rolling basis as new questions come in.
CCDF Lead Agencies Preparedness Planning We recommend Lead Agencies follow public health guidelines from their local health departments and the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) to prepare for a pandemic outbreak. Consider using resources such as:
What Programs in Communities with Identified Coronavirus Should Know
Lead Agencies and their child care programs should work in close collaboration and coordination with local health officials. If an ill child or staff member attended the program prior to being confirmed as a coronavirus case, local health officials may:
Please do not hesitate to contact NARA at [email protected] for further assistance or with any questions. |