Years of experience with natural disasters has shown that Head Start and other early childhood programs play an important role in response and recovery efforts after a disaster or emergency. Providing stability and sharing information about resources and agencies that can assist families is critical in the days and weeks after the event.  This public health emergency is different, because it continues. In this webinar we will offer key lessons and resources for programs in the process of creating, revisiting, and updating preparedness policies and procedures.  We hope to share best practices and to help keep programs safe during the ongoing public health emergency. Head Start Program Performance Standards require, written plans for staff and training for staff for emergencies.  These standards include the following Head Start Program Performance Standards:

• 45 CFR 1304.22 b) Conditions of short-term exclusion and admittance
• 45 CFR 1304.22(e) Hygiene
• 45 CFR 1304.20(d) Ongoing care procedures for periodic observations and recordings, as appropriate, of individual children’s developmental progress, changes in physical appearance (e.g., signs of injury or illness) and emotional and behavioral patterns.

The Preparedness Manual recommends procedures to include observations from parents and staff including:

• Standard 3.1.1 Daily Health Check
• Standard 3.2.2.2 Hand Washing Procedure
• Standard 3.2.3.2 Cough and Sneeze Etiquette
• Standard 3.3 Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

The current public health emergency raises different preparedness needs than natural disasters. Some share concern about potential lack of identified procedures and materials in place prevent the spread of disease. Others raise concerns about insufficient supplies for children, parents, and staff to prevent infection.  We will discuss the guidance available and best practices.