Updated 3/25/20
Family and sitter health is a top priority for the UrbanSitter community. With concerns over Coronavirus increasing coupled with school closures and geographic areas under “shelter-in-place” restrictions we would like to remind our community of the following:
- We encourage everyone to refer to the CDC and local department of health websites for specific instructions and restrictions, which may vary by city or county.
- If your area has a “shelter-in-place” order in effect, check your area’s guidelines to understand any policies related to childcare. For example, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where a “shelter-in-place” order is in effect, home-based care for seniors, adults or children is currently classified as an “essential service” and permitted in all seven impacted counties, as long as the care is performed in the family’s home. In Colorado, however, there are more restrictions and unless the caregiver is living with the family, providing medical care to the child or is providing care in order to allow parents/guardians to work for an Essential Business or perform an Essential Government function it is not permitted. All parties must comply with all other aspects of the shelter-in-place order. Regulations vary both by location and time period so please regularly check your local department of health websites.
- We encourage open communication regarding family and sitter health status. So, as always, if a child, a family member or caregiver is sick or has a fever, please disclose this information, with symptoms and relevant doctor information, to the other party so that families and caregivers can make informed decisions about whether to cancel a job. Specific to the Coronavirus, the CDC recommends that people should self-quarantine for 14 days if you have been in contact in the last 14-days with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Jobs should be canceled if a caregiver or anyone in the family they are working for fits into one of the above categories. Jobs should not be posted and booking requests should not be sent if a family member fits any of those criteria as well. Click here for more information.
- Families and childcare providers should continue to follow CDC guidelines for keeping homes safe. This includes good hygiene practices such as washing hands upon arrival, before handling food and at regular intervals.
We also encourage creative solutions for childcare. Anything we can all to do reduce the number of social interactions we’re having the better, so parents and sitters may start to see requests from each other such as:
- Parents may start requesting remote sitting, using online video conferencing, to keep kids entertained and help with homeschooling. These jobs might be for shorter increments of time. Sitters and parents can think creatively about virtual activities like storytime, charades and age-appropriate games like, “I spy…”
- Parents who need in-home childcare and have a spare room may offer to have the childcare provider “shelter in place” with them.
- Sitters may ask for a minimum number of hours per week with each family to be able to limit the number of families they are working with.
- Sitters may ask for rides to and from work if they do not have cars, to avoid public transportation.
We hope everyone stays healthy.
Your UrbanSitter Team
(As of 3/13/2020)
Family and sitter health is top priority for the UrbanSitter community. With concerns over Coronavirus increasing and school closures happening around the country, we wanted to remind our community of the following:
We are encouraging open communication regarding family and sitter health status. So, as always, if a child, a family member or caregiver is sick or has a fever, please disclose this information, with symptoms and relevant doctor information, to the other party so that families and caregivers can make informed decisions about whether to cancel a job.
Specific to the Coronavirus, the CDC recommends that people should self-quarantine for 14 days if:
- You have been in contact in the last 14-days with someone diagnosed with COVID-19
- You have traveled to a CDC-designated level 2 or 3 area in the last 14 days
Jobs should be canceled if a caregiver or anyone in the family they are working for fits into one of the above categories. Jobs should not be posted and booking requests should not be sent if a family member fits any of that criteria as well.
The CDC also recommends the following steps to protect yourself and other family members:
- Get your flu shot to protect against flu or symptoms similar to novel coronavirus.
- Wash your hands with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds.
- Cover your cough or sneeze.
- Stay home if you are sick, and keep sick family members at home until symptoms resolve.
Additionally, here are some requests that both parties should expect to encounter when communicating about child care jobs and scheduling bookings:
- Sharing information about any travel within the past 14 days
- Request to take temperature before leaving for the job or upon arrival at the job (for both sitter and family)
- Disclosing information about exposure to large groups, events or activities within the past 14 days
- Request to wash hands immediately upon arrival
Here are the latest recommendations from the CDC on how to keep workplaces and homes safe.
As the situation is changing rapidly, the CDC and local department of health websites are great sources for the most up-to-date information and recommendations.
We hope everyone stays healthy.
Your UrbanSitter Team
