After weeks of collaboration with the CDC and medical experts, our team has created what we believe is a good starting point for ensuring the safety of children, families, and staff.  I say starting point because things are likely to evolve as we begin putting these protocols into practice. 

As an NAEYC accredited center, we already have in place many of Maine Child Care Licensing and CDCs new guidelines (e.g. removing shoes before coming inside, purposeful hand washing, using soap and water and disinfectant to clean surfaces). With that said, some of the other guidelines are contradictory, (please feel free to review guidelines from the various advisory boards in the footnote below). Our goal is to combine the most essential guidelines - as determined by us and our advising medical experts - with what we know is best practices for children and realistic for staff.  Administrators will support classroom disinfectant routines when they are going into classrooms.  We will be routinely asking parents and staff for feedback so that we can continue to find better ways to ensure our collective safety. 

Childcare has been uniquely impacted by Covid-19.  In addition to the aforementioned enrollment and staffing shortages, the new guidelines have increased expenses at the exact moment when revenue is at its lowest. The industry needs both state and federal support to weather these times, otherwise many of us - will have to close our doors permanently.  We believe Heidi’s House will be an example for how to do this right.  But we need your support.  Please consider reaching out to your local senators and congress people, to voice your support for Heidi's House and the industry as a whole. Their contact information can be found at the bottom of this letter.

With that said, Heidis' House has made it through 32 years and we intend on making it through 32 more. We look forward to continuing to giving your children the love, support and education they deserve. We’re here for the long run, and look forward to getting through this and better times ahead.

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