Dear Living Springs Lutheran Church CDC Families,
At a called CDC Board meeting on 4/28/2020, several reopening procedures, “new normal” operating procedures, calendar dates, and billing considerations were discussed. I am eager to share them with you.
- We will continue virtual operations only for children/families through May 29.
- Monday, May 25th, virtual operations will close for Memorial Day, as scheduled.
- On Monday-Friday, June 1st – 5th, we will conduct a “soft opening” of on-site care for a limited number of children with priority given to essential workers:
- Program hours for June 1 – June 5th are projected to be 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, to allow adjustment to the stricter “new normal” procedures. More information about specific drop-off procedures will follow at a later date via Remind.
- Note; Friday, June 5th CDC teacher workday canceled; children may attend.
- On Monday, June 8th, we plan to open on-site care for other children.
- Detailed information about specific operating hours, drop-off & pick-up schedules, etc. – contingent upon our experiences during the soft opening.
- The Board respects that the situation created by COVID-19 is fluid and notes that the dates listed below are a plan for reopening. Board members are optimistic that this plan is reasonable. Developments will be monitored closely as the coming weeks unfold, and parents will be notified of any changes as they arise.
- Note: On Tuesday, May 26th CDC staff will return from their at-home virtual & partial on-site work to a full daily on-site work schedule; intensive training will occur regarding modified drop-off procedures, modified pick-up procedures, mid-day health assessments of children and staff, enhanced sanitation procedures, safe grouping guidelines, traffic patterns minimizing group-to-group exposure, etc.
Of paramount importance to Board Members, Administration, and Staff is the health of your children, you, your extended families, and us. Staff will stay home if exposed to anyone confirmed to have COVID-19 or if we have any questions about our health. We ask that parents respect the critical nature of honesty regarding health assessments of children and self as equally vital.
What does this mean?
- Temperatures of children and adults will be taken before building entry is permitted (no parents will be permitted to enter the building at this time).
- Children who have had any symptoms must stay home until fever-free (<100.0 degrees) for three days without fever-reducing medication.
- A parent or immediate caregiver who has exhibited any symptoms should not send a child to school; that child has been exposed to something. Adults often self-medicate, yet this approach is potentially disastrous in this group-setting situation. Moreover, if anyone in the child’s house has had symptoms, that child should stay home.
- A parent or care giving adult who has been exposed to someone positively diagnosed with COVID-19 should self-quarantine and keep children away from school to prevent unknowingly exposing others.
- Additional modified procedures will be implemented upon reopening, the details of which will be shared in a later communication.
Not to follow these guidelines would mean possibly exposing other families and CDC staff to infection/illness, which would initiate school-closure protocol yet again.
Honesty is vital to the success of reopening.
Just as they have been since COVID modifications began, LSLC CDC financials were carefully, compassionately considered during this Board meeting as well.
Please review the following financial points:
- THANK YOU for your generous support and cost sharing contributions for the month of April. A 2-week payroll for every CDC staff was made possible through your partial tuition payments, while all additional payrolls and ongoing expenses were covered through our CDC reserve fund. What a blessing that was for our staff and this ministry!
- We learned yesterday that our Payroll Protection Program loan/grant was approved!
- Our PPP loan/grant is enough to cover payroll for an 8-week period, once the loan funds are actually deposited into our account.
- In order to cover other operating expenses and help reduce a fatal further depletion of our necessary reserves, we are requesting that families pay a minimal 20% tuition for the month of May.
- NOTE: once the PPP loan period is finished, we will evaluate if any tuition credits could then be applied for future periods, particularly if the loan is transformed into a grant (We want you to know that we are not trying to get any excess money during this critical period, but just the minimal amount to stay viable for the future of our staff and families).
As we all adjust to these new norms, habits and practices I pray that you have felt God at work in and through this time. We have been shown once again, that the presence of Christ’s love and compassion is indeed at the center of all things as we see examples of compassion and concern for our neighbors both known and unknown. We have been given the opportunity to slow down, to appreciate and be still as we move through the unfamiliar; realizing that we do not walk this journey alone, but rather we are held in steadfast love as were those that have come before us.
We are honored to care for your families, and we are all anxious for the upcoming reunion.
Wishing you well, Tammy Mancuso, LSLC-CDC Director