Although the reopening date has not been announced, the Department of Social Development released a circular this week regarding the preparation and planning for the centres and partial care facilities.

According to the department, the circular is meant to assist ECDs or partial care facilities to implement measures to prevent and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus among children.

- All staff need to return to an early childhood development programme and/or partial care facility at least five working days prior to the reopening;

- The staff will receive an in-depth orientation regarding the virus, and measures related to managing it;

- They would establish measures and protocol for daily hygiene and cleaning practices that will be implemented on the premises and in the learning spaces;

- The staff will also receive in-service training on how to receive and support children and parents, and also how to engage with parents regarding healthy and preventative measures;

- The staff would also need to be provided with a thorough orientation, related to the pre-cleaning measures.

"Every parent, who returns a child to an early childhood development programme and/or partial care facility, shall be informed in writing that the return of a child to an early childhood development programme and/or partial care facility is voluntary and the sole decision of that parent or legal guardian."

The circular also states that a child, who returns to an early childhood development programme, will be subjected to daily symptom screening.