Prepare a backup plan in the event of kindergarten closure

Let’s start with the last one. We have some very clear expectations and calls for action towards all employees and parents: Avoid crowds of people, and not just from 1,000 people onwards (which our politicians have managed to legislate) but on a much smaller scale. Postpone stadium, restaurant and concert visits, parties and other non-domestic entertainment. Stay at home. Leave your children at home if you can. Don’t go leisure travel. Cancel appointments that are not absolutely necessary. Avoid shaking hands when greeting. Do not stay physically close to other people outside your family.

Unfortunately, the realization that these rules can save lives nowadays is only very slowly gaining acceptance. Take proactive responsibility yourself and do not wait for official orders, because the authorities are themselves driven by the developments and rightly or wrongly have difficulty with bans that conflict with our constitutional freedoms (several emails from rainbowtrekkers to the Cologne Health Office on this subject remained unanswered so far).

We should therefore act responsibly, restrict ourselves and voluntarily change habitual patterns in order to save the lives of sick people. If not us, then who? And if not now, when else?

From Friday, March 13th, 20, we expect all parents to conduct a fever check on their children during drop-off. Unfortunately, we cannot use the contactless clinical thermometers available in our kindergartens for measurements in the ear, because the necessary sterile protective caps are currently not available. Therefore, please bring your own clinical thermometer with you and deposit it in your child’s cubby. Without a temperature measurement we can no longer receive your child from tomorrow onwards.

The temperature must be measured by the parents during drop-off in the presence of the educational staff who receive the children. The temperature must be documented in the sign-in sheets.

Until further notice, children with a body temperature of >= 38.1 degrees Celsius are not allowed to attend kindergarten and must be taken back home by the parents. All educational staff have been instructed to refuse to take over children with a body temperature >= 38.1 degrees Celsius. A re-admission to group care is possible only 24 hours after decay (not after determination) of the fever.

This measure remains in force until my express revocation. It does not primarily apply to protection against corona infection, because the virus usually does not appear to show any symptoms in children. Rather, this measure serves to maintain the health of our employees and by that the general performance of our organization.

As a result of increasing numbers of infections, we have expanded the list of risk countries relevant to us: Mainland China, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy and France (new).

Children or employees returning from these risk areas may not visit our daycare centers for the first 14 days after their return.

This regulation applies to all regions of the countries mentioned and is effective immediately.

Parents or contact persons who were traveling in these risk areas without children are not allowed to personally bring the children to the day care centers for the first 14 days after their return.

This rule does not apply to people who have not left the airport transit areas of ​​Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand or Japan. With regard to all other countries, the regulation also applies to people who have been only in the transit area of ​​the airports or who have made fuel or rest stops while driving through one of these countries.

Regardless of this, we advise against visits to Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands and reserve the right to adjust our quarantine regulations here at short notice. Please also take these regulations into account when planning your vacation for the coming weeks and months. There is currently no indication that the situation will ease in the short term.

Children, parents, employees or visitors who (regardless of a trip) had personal contact with a person who has been diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the laboratory should contact their responsible health department immediately and regardless of symptoms. In this case, too, attending kindergarten is not possible!

As of this week, the city of Cologne has published an Internet presence for the public day care centers on the subject of corona. There it says: The closing of a kindergarten center is always the last option. You can be sure that we will keep kindergartens running for as long as possible, but of course only as long as it is safe for everyone involved. (www.stadt-koeln.de/leben-in-koeln/familie-kinder/betreuung/informationen-zum-umgang-mit-dem-corona-virus-kindertageseinrichtungen).

In other words, kindergarten closures in the future are quite realistic. Beware now that childcare centers might be shut down by the authorities as a result of corona infection or for reasons of infection prevention (as implemented in Denmark and Ireland since today). Make sure you have an alternative care plan available and remember that grandma and grandpa in particular need special protection and may not be the first choice for your plan B.

For the sake of the health of all those involved in our organization, I would like to make it clear that as a non public kindergarten, we carry out our own risk analyzes beyond the general principles of action communicated to us by the authorities. Our risk analysis might in individual cases go beyond what the authorities are currently willing to assume responsibility for. The instructions, which emerge from our risk analysis, are part of our contractual relationship with parents, specifically including the order to wash hands and measure fever. In the interest of the health of our employees, children and their families, violations or deliberately false information will result without warning in the termination of the caregiving contract without notice. I would ask you to pay attention to this.

Please note that until further notice you can only enter our kindergartens if you wash your hands and your children’s hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds immediately after entering.

Be smart today so that we can keep our kindergartens open for you tomorrow. We ask for your understanding of this measure and urge your cooperation.

Due to a changed risk assessment, we will not be taking any trips to closed rooms (museums, theaters, etc.) or using public transport with the children until further notice.

As a replacement, excursions into the fresh air should take place at destinations in the vicinity of our kitas, which are within walking distance for the children. The frequency of the trips is not reduced.

Thanks to the help of parents from our various daycare centers, we were able to increase our stock of disinfectants. Many thanks to everyone involved for their help.