Authored by the Childcare Policy Working Group (CPWG), the guidance aims to ease the return to the workplace by employees with children and support child-centered activities, such as early child care and education centres, summer and sports camps, vacation Bible schools, and tutoring programmes. This follows the lowering of COVID-19 restrictions with the introduction of Suppression Level 2 on Sunday, 22 June 2020 and with the gradual easing of restrictions expected to continue into July 2020.

Set up earlier this month, the CPWG’s remit was to provide recommendations and practical advice to help parents and caregivers when considering childcare provisions; guidance to various types of childcare providers and sports organisations on promoting behaviours which reduce the spread of the virus; and to assist employers who want to create family-friendly policies as more employees are reintroduced into the workplace.

The documents in the series are grounded in the following principles:

• based on scientific and medical advice, and designed to protect the health of children and adults;

• realistic guidance that takes into consideration the community's needs and is designed to ensure compliance with relevant laws and public guidance documents;

• fair and ethical in that the most vulnerable in the population are supported and child safeguarding measures have been considered; and

• clear and timely, easy to interpret and understand, and designed to assist child caregivers earn the confidence of parents, staff and young people.

With external child caregivers returning to the home from 22 June, the first three guides, now available at https://www.exploregov.ky/faqs/tag/Guidance#topic, are:

• Creating Family-Friendly Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidance for Employers

• Babysitting Guidance for Parents and Primary Caregivers During COVID-19 Suppression Level 2 (Minimal Suppression); and

• Welcoming Your Child Caregiver Back Into Your Home: Guidance for Parents and Primary Caregivers During COVID-19 Suppression Level 2 (Minimal Suppression).

On 5 July, educational institutions and facilities, including early child care and education centres, summer camps and vacation Bible schools, and tutoring centres may commence full operations, including social and non-contact sporting activities. The community may engage in contact sporting activities starting 19 July.

Accordingly, the first two guides below are also now available with the remaining two in the series expected shortly on the link above and the website’s community page:

• Guidance for Early Childhood Care and Education Centres: Steps to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 during COVID-19 Suppression Level 2 (Minimal Suppression)

• Guidance for Camp and Vacation Bible School Providers: Steps to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 during COVID-19 Suppression Level 2 (Minimal Suppression)

• Guidance for Tutoring Centres: Steps to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 during COVID-19 Suppression Level 2 (Minimal Suppression), and

• The Cayman Islands National Framework for Restarting Sports Amid COVID-19

Premier, Hon. Alden McLaughlin, the Minister for Community Affairs and Minister for Employment said: “I welcome the guidance series that has been shared online. COVID-19 has been a difficult time for parents and children alike, with parents balancing working from home and educating their children at home. This series will provide useful information to parents transitioning back into the workplace while considering how best to keep their children actively and safely occupied over the Summer.”

The Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture & Lands, Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly commented: “We understand the additional challenge parents faced with providing full-time home learning support while also working from home during the curfew period. Our children are also in need of a safe environment to socialise, interact and learn from others."

“The Ministry of Education acknowledges and recognises that families require support with childcare as parents return to work. Reopening our educational intuitions and providing students with the opportunity to participate in summer programmes and sporting activities, at this stage is monumental and it is equally important that we do everything we can to ensure the continued safety of our citizens such as the provision of these detailed guidance documents and plans,” she added.

Coordinated by the Cabinet Office, the working group is comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture, and Lands; Ministry of Community Affairs; Office of the Deputy Governor’s Strategic Reforms Implementation Unit, and Cabinet Office. Additionally, the CPWG consulted with a number of private and public stakeholders, including the Chief Medical Officer and Clinical Head of Paediatric Department at the Health Services Authority.