CDC Releases “Reopening Tool” For Child Care Programs During COVID-19 Pandemic (But Programs Could Use More Guidance)

The CDC just released a “Reopening Tool” for child care programs during the pandemic which you can find at this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/Childcare-Decision-Tree.pdf

Education reporter Valarie Strauss writes “It’s not what the CDC had intended to issue, according to a report by The Washington Post, but it’s what the White House allowed.”

More extensive guidelines for child care programs were reportedly created by the CDC and leaked last week but those were not officially released. They can be found on pages 42-46 in this document: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6889330-Guidance-for-Opening-Up-America-Again-Framework.html

NPR reports “ Compliance with the CDC direction will depend on whether states adopt the decision tools into their own local policies — and whether the Trump administration supports and promotes the agency's guidelines”

Overall, this CDC Reopening Tool might be better than nothing, but it clearly does not answer the variety of concerns people in early education and child care have regarding COVID-19.

Here is hoping all 50 states release more detailed information for early childhood education and care programs.