Child health policy

In an effort to keep our staff and other children healthy, please reference our child health policy.

Care you can trust. Play, learn and grow at the YWCA.

Keeping Our Children Healthy

The YWCA Child Enrichment Programs have developed the following child health policy to keep children and staff as healthy as possible.

If a child displays signs and/or symptoms of an illness that prevents them from participating in daily activities, the parents or guardians will be required to pick up their child. Conditions and/or symptoms that would require the parents or guardians to pick their child up and keep their child out of the center are:

Fever of 101 or greater (armpit) with signs and/or symptoms of illness or behavior change
Repeated vomiting accompanied with a fever and/or signs or symptoms of illness or behavior change
Repeated diarrhea accompanied with a fever and/or signs or symptoms of illness or behavior change. Diarrhea not contained in the toilet. (All infants and children in diapers with diarrhea must be excluded.) Uncontrolled diarrhea (stool runs out of the diaper or the child can’t get to the toilet in time).
Suspicious rash with fever and/or signs or symptoms of illness or behavior change
Signs and/or symptoms of illness or behavior change

Signs and/or symptoms of illness or behavior of illness include, but are not limited to:

Unusual drowsiness
Persistent fussiness
Inexplicable irritability
Difficulty breathing
Wheezing
Inability to participate in the classroom daily activities

Pursuant to federal and state law, the YWCA does not discriminate against children with disabilities in its childcare and summer programs. The YWCA provides reasonable accommodations or reasonable modifications to children with disabilities unless such accommodations/modifications would constitute a fundamental alteration to the YWCA’s childcare or summer programs. If your child has a disability and needs a reasonable accommodation or reasonable modification to participate in the YWCA’s childcare or summer programs, please contact your center director: Michelle Stojka (717) 334-7150 ext. 222 or gro.grubsyttegacwy@akjotsm at Adams Commerce Center. The YWCA will respond in writing to reasonable accommodation/modification requests within fourteen days with an approval, denial, or narrowly-tailored request for medical documentation.

Pre-K Scholarship Applications

Applications are accepted from Dec 1-15 for the January through June session and from June 1-15 for July through December.

Parent Handbook and Medication Policy

A parent and child holding hands.

Our Parent Handbook provides information regarding our policies, procedures, annual closings, and other important materials regarding our programs. Though it is included in the Handbook, we've also included a link to our Medication Policy for separate, easy access.

Download Our Handbook

Download Our Medication Policy

In Case of Illness

We follow the Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools reference guide written and published by the American Academy of Pediatrics to determine exclusion for illnesses and/or communicable diseases such as, but not limited to measles, rubella, mumps, etc.

An ill child will be given appropriate care away from general play until the parent, guardian, or designated individual arrives. We will notify the parent/guardian of any suspected exposure to a communicable disease. Parents must sign the sick policy form and fill in the time when they pick their child up.

Children may return to their classroom once they have been symptom and/or fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication, or have a written release from a licensed physician stating that their illness is not contagious and they may return to the classroom.

Medication Policy

We strictly adhere to Pennsylvania law regarding Child medication and special diets. Pennsylvania law requires that we make reasonable accommodations in accordance with both federal and state laws to facilitate the administration of medication or a special diet that is prescribed by a physician, physician’s assistant, or Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) as treatment related to the child’s special needs. Facility persons are not required to administer medication or special diets which are requested or required by the parent, a physician, a physician’s assistant, or a CRNP but are not treatment related to the child’s special needs. When medication or special diets are administered, the following requirements apply:

A prescription or non-prescription medication may be accepted only in an original container. The medication must remain in the container in which it was received.
A staff person shall administer a prescription medication only if written instructions are provided from the individual who prescribed the medicine. Instructions for administration contained on a prescription label are acceptable.
The label of a medication container must identify the name of the medication and the name of the child for whom the medication is intended. Medication shall be administered to only the child whose name appears on the container.
Medication shall be stored in a locked area of the facility or in an area that is out of reach of children.
Medication shall be stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s or health professional’s instructions on the original label.
A parent shall provide written consent for administration.

We are required to establish and maintain a medication log if prescription or non-prescription medication is administered. The log will include:

The name of the medication;
The name of the child receiving the medication;
A requirement for refrigeration;
The amount of medication administered;
The date of administration;
The time of administration;
The initials of the staff person who administered the medication;
Special notes related to problems of administration.

If a special diet is prescribed for a child and if the diet is administered to a child, written instructions and the parent’s written consent shall be retained in the child’s file.

—————————————————————————————————– 55 Pa. Code §3270.133, 55 PA ADC §3270.133

COVID-19 Policy

Children over the age of 2 years will be encouraged to wear a mask when entering the building.
Child care space occupancy allows for 6 feet of separation among children and staff throughout the day.
Classrooms will not be permitted to combine in common areas such as gyms, playgrounds, and multi-purpose rooms. Meals will continue to be served in classrooms (family-style will be discontinued until further notice).
Everyone entering the building will be asked to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. Proper handwashing for anyone entering a classroom must be completed at the following times: entering the classroom, before and after meals, before and after diaper changes or going to the bathroom, after any contact with bodily fluids (wiping noses, coughing, sneezing, etc.), re-entering after outdoor play or using the gym area, before and after art and sensory activities, and before leaving for the day.
A playground schedule is completed to limit the number of children / classrooms playing together.
Materials have been limited in classrooms and will be rotated to allow for maintaining cleaning and sanitizing.
Each classroom will have an opener and closer assigned. We will utilize the floating staff as needed to limit the number of people the children are exposed to during the day.
The multi-purpose room may be utilized for social distancing during nap time, if needed.
Anyone entering the building will have their temperature taken (must be below 100.4). A health screening will be completed for all children when signed in by a parent.
Any staff, children, or visitors who show signs of illness during the day will be taken to the staff room until they can be picked up. The staff room will then be cleaned and disinfected before any other use.
After quarantining, staff and children must be cleared by a doctor or have a negative COVID-19 test to return to the center.
The Administrative Director will notify the ED of the YWCA, the DOH, and DHS of any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the facilities.
Family disclosures will be determined by the YWCA ED and CEP staff. Families will be notified via memo or phone call as needed and a sign will be posted on the front door and on the YWCA website and Facebook page.
Children and staff who are at higher risk for severe illness will be asked to consult with their healthcare provider for guidance as to if they should return to the child care program.