LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Child care centers will be allowed reopen in Kentucky on Monday, as long as they can meet new state guidelines meant to limit spread of the coronavirus.
It's a day that also marks the return of Head Start to the Louisville area after a two-year absence.
Keystone Learning Academy in West Louisville will be among the first to welcome back preschoolers when it opens Monday as the first site of Greater Louisville Head Start, after a partnership took control of the program that Jefferson County Public Schools relinquished in 2018.
Head Start is a federal learning enrichment program for low-income preschoolers.
Pam Darnall, president of Family & Children's Place, said Monday is an important day for families.
"We just couldn't be more excited," said Darnall, whose child advocacy center joined with Community Coordinated Child Care, or 4-C, to form Greater Louisville Head Start, which will operate up to four Head Start programs in the area. "To have this great option for families, it's just awesome."
Southside Christian Child Care and Pre-School on Taylor Boulevard is among other centers planning to reopen Monday.
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Chasity Pannell works at Southside and also has her 1-year-old son, Brayden, enrolled. She said they both are ready to return.
Pannell said her son doesn't understand why he's been staying at home.
"He's wondering why he isn't at day care with his friends," she said.
As for Pannell, she will return to a different work environment where staff has to try to keep children in smaller groups, limiting their contact with each other.
"These kids are used to running around and playing with everybody," she said.
Cori Gadansky, executive director of 4-C, said that while some child care centers will reopen Monday, others are taking their time to make sure they can meet all the state guidelines.
"We've heard from a lot of folks who say they are choosing not to open the first day," she said. "We know there's a lot of hesitancy."
Most child care centers closed in early March under state orders after Gov. Andy Beshear declared a public health emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though some limited services remained available for children of first responders and health care workers.
The Louisville area has about 480 child care care providers, counting licensed day care centers and smaller, state-certified family centers that operate out of homes.
Gadansky said she believes many of the area's child care providers may not reopen at all after a three-month of shutdown.
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Meanwhile, Keystone staff have been getting reading to welcome children Monday by cleaning and arranging the center and contacting families to help them prepare for changes that will include masks for adults, frequent hand washing and smaller groups of children staying farther apart. Children under 5 do not have to wear masks, under state guidelines.
"When they show up, they'll know what the procedure is," said Mia Cooper, Head Start director for 4-C. "It's a different new normal."
Soft toys have been removed, leaving items such as wooden blocks that are more easily cleaned and disinfected. Children will be placed in smaller groups of no more than 10 per room to allow them some distance from each other.
The Keystone center has a capacity of 82 children for Head Start, a learning enrichment program for children ages 3 through 5 and Early Head Start, for infants up to age 3.
But the center plans to phase in children in smaller numbers as it adjusts to new conditions set by the state to safely reopen child care centers.
Eventually, Head Start will be offered at four sites in the Louisville area.
Vaughn Nebbitt, vice-president for early childhood services for Family & Children's Place, said Head Start will open Monday at the Keystone center with new rules. Only one parent may enter the center to drop off or pick up a child, adults will have to wear masks and staff will screen the temperature of anyone entering the building.
And staff will take extra care to explain the changes to children and try to make sure they understand, Nebbitt said.
"The most important thing is to normalize things for the children," he said.
Darnall said Greater Louisville Head Start is ready to launch the program after plans to open in early March were derailed when Kentucky reported its first case of COVID-19.
"We're super excited," she said. "The virus kind of set everybody back."
Parents interested in applying for Head Start may do so by calling 502-974-1206 or through the website famchildplace.org/headstart.
Reach Deborah Yetter at dyetter@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4228. Find her on Twitter at @d_yetter. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.
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