Strategies Will Help Establish a New Normal During the COVID-19 Pandemic to Prioritize Safety for Children, Families, and the Early Childhood Workforce

In response to a growing demand for information on how to reopen child care safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska is releasing child development guidelines to provide assistance to early care and education programs seeking to reopen child care in Nebraska as safely and effectively as possible. The Buffett Institute will continue to share guidance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as new information or additional questions arise.

The guidelines range in focus from social distancing (establish greetings and routines for adults when children are dropped off and picked up) to cleaning protocols (playgrounds and gyms cleaned after each use); from anxiety reduction strategies (toy thermometers and masks provided to children for play) to professional development (facilitate staff participation in trauma-informed practices).

The guidelines also call for limiting class sizes to no more than 10 children, consistent with public health directives for all other groups, and are based on the developmental needs of children from birth through age 8.

The guidelines are meant to be used in conjunction with directives from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and local public health departments, the Nebraska Department of Education, and the CDC.

Read the guidelines