Dear Staff & Families,
Re: Unwell children and staff
It is timely as we have now entered winter with increasing levels of colds, flu and COVID-19 infections, that we remind everyone in our service communities about the current settings with regards to children, staff and others who have reason to enter Shine Bright services.
The current government advice is:
“If staff or children are unwell, they are required to stay at home, unless those symptoms are known to be caused by an underlying health condition or medication. Remember, if your child’s symptoms are different or worse than usual, they should stay at home, get tested for COVID-19 again, and seek health advice.
Children and staff who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, however mild, should also undertake a RAT or a PCR test and quarantine at home until they receive a negative result. As influenza and colds are becoming more prevalent, even with a negative result, children and staff should avoid ECEC settings until their symptoms resolve and they are well again.”
(Sources: coronavirus.vic.gov.au & Department of Education and Training)
Our priority is to ensure, as much as possible, that services protect the health of children and staff from colds, flu and COVID-19 infection. We understand that at times families may be inconvenienced when a child is prevented from attending or remaining in a service due to being unwell. However, in keeping illnesses out of our services, as much as possible, we are more likely to reduce the need to shut services due to a lack of staff. Nonetheless, as we move deeper into winter with an increasing likelihood of staff absences, our ability to keep services open at all times will be more difficult. We ask for your understanding should the last resort of closing a service become necessary.
We want to acknowledge the challenging situation that many of our staff and families are experiencing at the moment. We will continue to monitor the situation, consult with staff and families and review government advice in order to manage services in the best interests of everyone.
Regards,
Craig Wade Belinda Schultz
HR Manager Early Years Manager