Health & Safety Policies

The following policies affect programming beginning as of June 1, 2021. For Winter-Spring Health and Safety Policies please call 212-488-8800 or attend a health and safety zoom meeting before your first class!

Click Here to Watch the Health and Safety Video

COVID-19 Health and Safety Policies – Summer 2021
The following applies to Summer 2021 programming. For Winter-Spring 2021 information please contact us at 212-488-8800.

COVID-19 Space Changes and Cleanliness
The following applies to INDOOR programming only. Please see Sun Sessions Outdoor Music specific information below.

Space Modifications

Please see the Health and Safety Video to view the space modifications which include:

• Usage of only our front space.
• Newly constructed half wall separating play area from entry area.
• Individual lockers sanitized between classes.
• Improvements to lobby area, stairs, and second floor hallway to maintain cleanliness.
• Removal of all textiles that cannot be washed between classes, including carpeting, rugs, curtains, scarves, etc. Exception – we do use some textiles in our gentle separation, which are UV lighted after each class. We also UV light our entry mats between each program.
• Resurfacing of our hard wood floors so that we can maintain their cleanliness more effectively.

New Equipment

• Two Commercial Grade HEPA Air Scrubbers – constantly in use – changing the indoor air 8 times per hour.
• UV Light treatment on all surfaces that cannot be effectively be microsprayed after each class.
• Hand Sanitizer and Sanitization Stations – will be stocked and maintained throughout the space. Kids at Work will source the most effective sanitizer while also considering the effect of consistent use on our participants.
• Hudson mist-sprayer for our child-safe prokure sanitization solution.
• DARCY AI temperature camera and health check system.

Partnership with Pathogen Alliance trained contractor from Black Squirrel Artisans which includes:

• Training for staff on how to properly sanitize objects between classes.
• Training for staff on UV light use.
• Proper maintenance and upkeep of our HEPA filter air scrubber and HVAC system.
• Overseeing all health and safety parameters and plans and PPE use on a regular basis, while maintaining up to date protocols for Kids at Work.
• Immediate assistance with full professional remediation should we be forced to close due to a confirmed positive case.

Sanitization Assistant
Staff member assisting with the following duties (present constantly):

Masks, Social Distancing, & Other Policies
The following applies to INDOOR programming only. Please see Sun Sessions Outdoor Music specific information below.

Masks and PPE

• Kids at Work provides KN95 masks for all adults attending indoor programming. All adults are required to wear the KN95 mask provided OR double mask with one of the following combinations: 1/ 2 cloth masks 2/ a cloth and a surgical mask. Two surgical masks is not an appropriate double mask.
• Per the NYCDOH, all persons over the age of 2 WHO ARE REASONABLY ABLE TO TOLERATE A MASK will be required to wear an acceptable face covering including.
• Children aged 2-5 will be encouraged to wear a mask in an age appropriate manner (through stories, modeling, and play), but if your child cannot tolerate the mask that is fine.
• Caregivers and parents must PROVIDED KN95 MASKS INDOORS or appropriate CDC recommended double masks, at all times.
• Staff must wear KN95 face coverings at all times when interacting with children, regardless of the distance between the staff and children.
• Trained staff will wear appropriate PPE between classes and during sanitization procedures to protect themselves.

Social Distancing

• Social distancing will NOT be required, maintained or encouraged for CHILDREN in our programming. If you prefer your child to be socially distanced from other children, you may wish to check out our amazing virtual programming.
• Staff and participating adults are required to do their absolute best to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between themselves and children, as long as the child’s safety allows.
• Our 900 square foot play area will be set up in such a way to encourage children to work at least 6 feet apart. Realistically this won’t always be possible, as children are social beings and are naturally curious about one another.
• During stationary activities such as music, adults will be given small mats to sit on 6 feet apart. Kids at Work will not contain any textiles (rugs, carpeting, scarves, curtains, doll clothes, etc) within the play area, except where we are able to launder or UV light between programs.

Other Health and Safety Measures

• All participants and staff will be asked to wash hands for 20 seconds in our bathroom upon entering the space.
• Kids at Work will only allow foldable strollers to be brought into the building.
• Kids at Work requires ALL adults to wear socks in our indoor space. Kids at Work has socks to loan adults if they do not have socks. Children can be bare foot.

Class Procedures
The following applies to INDOOR programming only. Please see Sun Sessions Outdoor Music specific information below.

Staggered Entry and Exit

• Families are encouraged to come to class 10-15 minutes prior to the class start time, to allow for staggered entry to our facility. Families should understand that they may need to wait to get into the space, particularly if they come less than 10 minutes before class. Families should understand that this may impact their ability to get into the class in a timely manner.
• Sanitization Assistant will maintain distance between families in lobby at arrival using radio communication with teaching staff within studio.
• Social distancing at exit will be maintained using our hallways, which are separated by closed doors. Kids at Work has created the health and safety video above for you and your caregiver to watch, about how to enter and exit KAW safely.

Objects, Toys, and Instruments

• Students in music, dance and soccer programming utilize individual kits of instruments that are color coded for each class. It is up to the attending adult to maintain separation of equipment if desired. Exception – Our gentle separation students utilize communal instruments that are sanitized between classes.
• Objects that staff and children handle are sanitized throughout class (“ad hoc” cleaning) by our sanitization assistant and teacher, as well as after each class. Kids at Work always maintains multiple sanitized objects to swap out at any time.
• Adult Supervision – All adults are encouraged to support one another by alerting staff or other adults if they see a child handle or mouth an object, so that it can be removed and replaced. Programming will be a community experience, and we are all relying on one another to keep KAW safe!
• Usage of Tables and Furniture – To the extent we are able, we will redirect children to fresh, clean tables during free play, and our sanitization assistant and other staff will work to replenish items as needed. For instance, if a child spends time painting at a table and moves on, the materials that child used will be removed or sanitized.

Cleaning Practices Before and After Every Class

• The entry way, elevator, and stairwell are cleaned at the beginning and end of every day. They are also cleaned before and after each class, and after use between each family as they enter. Touch points in lobby and elevator are sanitized between each dyad’s arrival.
• All walls, floors, and other hard surfaces inside Kids at Work are cleaned between each class with soapy water and sprayed with Prokure, which is a child safe sanitizing agent.
• Any fabric or sensory items that cannot be washed with soapy water and sprayed during classes are sanitized with the handheld UV light.
• Any play objects or other items used during class are cleaned with soapy water and Prokure.
• All mats, furniture, chairs, tables, large motor objects, etc are wiped with soapy water and sprayed with Prokure between classes.

Health Checks
The following applies to INDOOR programming only. Please see Sun Sessions Outdoor Music specific information below.

Partnership with DARCY AI by Edgeworx Health Check Software

• All participating children AND adults are required to register and use the DARCY AI health check app. Information on how to use the app (largely picture based) will be included in your orientation.
• Each morning before coming to KAW, you and your caregiver will receive separate alerts from the app prompting you to complete your health checks.
• The health check also contains questions related to travel outside of NY.
• After completing the health check, you’ll receive a QR code. Caregivers can take a picture of the child’s QR code (which will be located on the parent’s device most likely) to place on their own device, if needed.
• Upon entry to KAW, QR codes will be scanned. All data will be stored in the cloud in case we need to go back and check this info at a later date or report to NYC Testing and Contact Tracing Corps.
• The SAME app also provides us with state of the art, small, hand held thermometer hardware, “DARCY”, which will safely and unobtrusively scan ALL people entering the space from a safe physical distance. This data will also be stored within the cloud for record keeping.
• DARCY AI is also a camera, which will be placed on the wall in the play area. The camera scans persons as they pass for temperature as well as PPE, so if someone spikes a fever during class, administration and staff will receive an alert.

What if I or my nanny don’t have a smart phone?

The health check app can be downloaded on to another person’s phone, and the QR code can be printed off and physically brought to class for the child and/or adult. We also have a paper version that can be completed upon arrival.

Can two people complete the health check on the same smart phone?

Yes! Darcy allows you to set up multiple children/adults on the same app and will deliver a separate QR code for each person, which can be scanned upon arrival.

Staff Testing, Vaccination & Health Checks

• All staff are strongly encouraged to be COVID-19 tested every 2 weeks at no expense to the staff member. Staff members are paid for their time getting tested.
• All staff maintain the same health check software on their devices as all participants, and are temperature and QR code checked upon arrival.
• All staff are in the process of receiving COVID-19 vaccinations as of April 2021.

Symptoms, Close Contacts, & Positive COVID-19 Tests
The following applies to INDOOR programming only. Please see Sun Sessions Outdoor Music specific information below.
Symptoms

Our health check software will question all staff & participants (adults and children) before their time in the space, whether they are exhibiting any of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough**
• Shortness of breath
• Chills
• Night sweats
• Sore throat
• Muscle/body aches
• Loss of taste or smell
• Headache
• Confusion
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

**Many children exhibit non-illness related dry cough and clear runny nose (such as with teething). We ask that all families maintain open communication about the history of such symptoms in their child. For instance, if your child has allergies OR has already been cleared by a pediatrician that it is not illness-related, please let us know ahead of time.

Those persons who are exhibiting symptoms must stay home. They will not be allowed to return to class until they either (1) stay home for 14 days since the onset of symptoms OR (2) get NEGATIVE COVID-19 test results OR (3) get pediatrician guidance that the child is ok to come back to class and that a COVID test is unnecessary (children only). In any case, they must also stay home for at least 24 hours after symptoms have gone away WITHOUT the use of medication If a child exhibits symptoms during class and is sent home, the families within that class will be notified and kept up to date on the status of the affected child.

“Close Contact” with a positive COVID-19 case

Close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. If you have come into close contact, you will have been alerted by the affected person or the NYC COVID-19 Test and Trace Corps. Participants are required to let Kids at Work know if you are a close contact. This includes caregivers, staff, parents, and children. Our health check software asks if a participant has come into close contact with a person confirmed as having a COVID-19 positive test before each and every class. Anyone who answers a “yes” to this question will be asked to quarantine per the NYCDOH and refrain from attending KAW programming for 10 days starting from the date of exposure OR starting from the date of isolation of the COVID positive individual. Exception – those close contacts who can prove status of full vaccination AND a negative rapid test may return to Kids at Work.

What if someone in my child’s cohort has been defined as a “close contact”.

Out of an abundance of caution, whenever we are notified that a participant (staff, child, or adult) is a close contact of someone else UNRELATED to Kids at Work, we do let the group know and we encourage all families to get tested. We keep the group abreast of the “close contact’s” testing results with permission of the affected person. We do not shut down any classes or do special cleaning, beyond the usual measures.

Testing POSITIVE for COVID-19

Families should be made aware that Kids at Work’s policies may be more stringent than other businesses, because we frequently work with unmasked children.

What if someone in my household who HAS been to KAW tests positive for COVID-19?
You are compelled to contact Kids at Work in the case of a positive test result on the part of ANYONE who has entered KAW within 10 days of the positive result or onset of symptoms (whichever comes first). Kids at Work is required by law to contact the NYC Test and Trace Corps and to supply contact information of infected individual(s). The infected individual will be required to remain at home for 14 days from the onset of symptoms or the positive result, and must supply KAW with proof of a negative COVID-19 test before returning to class. Individuals still displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will not be permitted to come back to class until 72 hours after symptoms have disappeared without the use of medication.

What if the positive case is NOT in my child’s cohort?

In the case of a positive COVID-19 test on the part of a participant, KAW is required by law to alert the NY State and NYC Department of Health, who will contact the Test and Trace Corps to let close contacts know of the positive case. All participants in all groups will be alerted to the situation by KAW. Participants within the affected group, as well as their close contacts and family members, will be encouraged to get tested. KAW will close for 48 hours following alert of a positive case for a deep clean and microsprayer application by our remediation contractor, held on retainer for this purpose. All staff will be asked to get tested at no cost to the staff member. Staff members are paid for their time in acquiring testing for themselves. We ask our participants to remember that a positive case at KAW doesn’t mean that the case originated at KAW. We ask all participants to respect the privacy of all families and caregivers. This will only work if we’re part of a respectful, caring community. We DO NOT want positive cases to be fearful of coming forward as that puts everyone at risk.

What if there is a positive case within my child’s cohort?

Families will be notified immediately by Kids at Work by email and phone. Kids at Work will contact caregivers directly IF we cannot reach families within 24 hours of trying to make contact. Families, staff and caregivers who have been to KAW at the same time as the infected person, within 2 days prior to the positive result OR onset of symptoms (whichever comes first) will be REQUIRED to show proof of negative test results to Kids at Work before they can return to the space. The test must be performed at least 4 days from exposure. These persons will also be required to quarantine for 10 days from the exposure, per NYCDOH. How this affects whether programming continues to run largely depends on how widespread the contact is. Cancellation of programming is on a case by case basis. Kids at Work never cancels programming without providing either credits or refunds to its participants.

Sun Sessions Outdoor Music Health and Safety Measures

• Adult participants in outdoor music are required to be fully masked at all times, with masks covering both mouth and nose. Masks are required for all adults regardless of vaccination status and CDC recommendations.
• All adults are asked to set up their blankets at least 6 feet apart.
• Kids at Work teaching staff will wear KN95 masks. Sun Sessions teachers are fully vaccinated.
• Social distancing between children may not be possible. If you wish your child to remain socially distanced from other children you will need to monitor this on your own. Kids at Work staff will not be encouraging social distancing between children, and it is up to the attending adults to assess their own risk and monitor.

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 – Outdoor Music classes ONLY
Participants are compelled to contact Kids at Work if someone who has attended an outdoor music class becomes ill with COVID-19.
In the case that we are notified of a positive case within the previous 10 days, we will notify all affected families that attended class within that time frame. Staff will get tested at no expense to staff member and the staff is paid for their time in getting tested. Families and caregivers will be encouraged to get tested.
Families are compelled to notify their caregiver so that they can assess their own risk.
The affected person AND close contacts will not be allowed to come back to Kids at Work until their NYCDOH quarantine has ended, and the individual has sent proof as such to Kids at Work.