Wellness checks, no field trips, masks for some. Reopening rules for KY child care centers.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday said a portion of childcare centers, closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, can open on June 8 and the rest on June 15.

Small in-home providers who take care of 10 children or less can open on June 8 and larger child care centers can open June 15, said Eric Friedlander, Acting Secretary for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

“Childcare is one of the areas that we know is critical to opening the economy, is critical to our parents, critical to our essential workers,” he said.

Visits to playgrounds will be staggered, there will be temperature checks and wellness checks will be required for everyone entering child care centers. Field trips will be eliminated. Ten or less children will be in a group and they will stay together all day. The same staff will stay with that group.

Adults will wear masks and so will children if it is age appropriate. Children under five won’t have to wear masks within a facility.

“As children are able they should wear masks,” Friedlander said.

There are specific cleanliness requirements and pickup and drop-off guidelines.

Cabinet officials have been working with University of Kentucky experts to make sure the guidelines are manageable, balanced and safe, he said.

Some daycares have already been operating in Kentucky -- All About Kids and different sites of the YMCA are serving the children of healthcare workers, first responders and all essential personnel, such as grocery employees. Paula Anderson, interim CEO of the YMCA of Central Kentucky, previously said 150 children of UK, Baptist Health and St. Joseph employees are at Beaumont, Whitaker and the Northside locations and had no outbreaks amid strict protocols. Those protocols include taking teacher and student temperatures every two and a half hours, and as much social distancing as possible for kids.

Beshear said Tuesday that summer camps can open June 15, the same day as some child care centers which have been shut down, if camps can meet the significant requirements expected of child care facilities.

This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 6:45 PM.