New rules for daycare centres

Preschoolers can’t play in the sandpit in level 3, but can play elsewhere outside

Sandpits will stay closed when most childcare centres and schools reopen this week. A constantly changing set of rules for how education will operate in Covid-19 alert level 3 now says sandpits must stay covered “due to the practical challenges of cleaning this area”.

Some childcare centres are also advising parents to stay in their cars when they drop off children in the mornings until they can see space on the footpath where they can queue 2m apart from any other families.

Rules for both schools and early childhood centres will include a maximum of 10 children in each “bubble”, staggering start, finish and break times and keeping children inside each bubble 1m apart from each other inside and 2m apart outside.

However, the Ministry of Education has accepted it will not be realistic to keep children 1m apart in early childhood centres.

“There is no requirement for staff and children within an early learning bubble to physically distance, although it is recommended separation is encouraged as much as possible through the placement of resources and activities in the service,” it said.

The ministry also agreed to allow children to use outside play equipment in early childhood centres.

Although all schools are supposed to be open from April 29, each school board must decide whether its school can open safely, and several hundred small rural schools are expected to stay closed.

An Early Childhood Council survey of 400 childcare centres found 55 per cent will open this week despite the initial recommendation that they should stay closed.

The biggest early childhood chain, BestStart, said 241 of its 260 centres will open, and another chain, Evolve, said all its 128 centres will open.

Kindergarten associations said all kindergartens will open each day just in case anyone turns up, and will stay open even if only one child attends.

Schools and early childhood centres expect only 5 to 10 per cent of children on Wednesday. Early Childhood Council chief executive Peter Reynolds said his members were “increasingly comfortable” with

We all agreed that we will keep sandpits offlimits just for the interim period. Peter Reynolds, Early Childhood Council chief executive

the latest changes to the level 3 rules.

He said sandpits were raised in a video meeting with the Ministry of Health’s director of public health Dr Caroline McElnay. “We all agreed that we will keep sandpits off-limits just for the interim period while the ministry does some more thinking about it.”

One centre has told parents: “Parents and wha¯nau dropping off and picking up children shall not be allowed past the window just beyond the front gate or into the reception area. Please maintain a 2m distance between families. We suggest remaining in your cars until you are confident.”

Reynolds said the idea of staying in the car until it was safe was suggested by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and he passed it on to his members.