Governor DeWine announced that Ohio’s child care providers may reopen on May 31st. To keep children, their families, and teachers safe, child care providers must operate under reduced ratios and follow strict cleaning and handwashing protocols. The Department of Job and Family Services also recommends that child care providers do the following:
- Use “curbside” drop-off and pick-up when possible.
- Have a dedicated staff person escort your child into and out of their child care facility each
day. - Wash children’s hands upon arrival and before departure.
- Have adults wear masks.
- Limit mixing of classrooms.
- Sanitize toys after each use and remove toys that cannot be sanitized.
- Stagger the use of communal spaces, such as playgrounds and lunchrooms, until they can be
sanitized.
Collectively, these best practices will help child care centers safely serve children and families that need care.
If you are considering taking your child to child care, here is what you should know.
- Child care providers must operate under very strict cleaning and handwashing protocols. These protocols will help make child care safe for your child.
- Child care providers are limited in the number of children they can serve. If you can stay home with your child, please do so. This will help keep limited child care spots available for families that have no other child care options.
- Children run fevers for many reasons, such as teething or colds. If your child is running a fever of 100 degrees or more, do not take them to child care. Your child should stay home for at
least 24 hours after their fever subsides. - Watch for symptoms of COVID-19, such as sore throat, cough, fever, headache, runny nose, and difficulty breathing. If your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms, contact your
pediatrician and keep your child home from child care. - If your child has been in contact with someone who is suspected of having COVID-19 or has tested positive for COVID-19, you should quarantine for 14 days.
- If your child has tested positive for COVID-19, they should not return to child care for at least seven days since the onset of symptoms and at least three days without a fever, without the help of fever-reducing medicines, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Your child may notice changes to their normal child care routine. It is important to talk to your child about how they are feeling. For tips on how to talk to your child about COVID-19, please visit
https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/checklists/english-checklists/talking-to-kids-covid19-checklist.
For additional information, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.
For answers to your COVID-19 questions, call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. If you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic, help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call the COVID-19 CareLine at 1-800-720-9616
