Dear Parents,

It’s important that you know the safety and protection of your children is the number one priority of Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills. We are doing everything possible to keep our Club members, staff and volunteers protected from the COVID-19 virus.

Given the state of the virus in our community, the Club plans to reopen on August 31st.  Online registration will be available at 10:00 am on August 13th here:  https://sandhillsbgc.org/2020-2021-afterschool-registration/.   It is imperative that you do not register without knowing the dates your child(ren) are physically attending school as this will affect eligibility for our “cohort” enrollment plans.  We will be opening with the following limitations for attendance in place:

  • We will be limiting enrollment from each school we serve, with priority given to youth of essential workers without a parent or guardian available in the home during out of school time.

Upon this limited reopening, enhanced safety precautions for staff and members are as follows:

We are taking the following additional precautions to prevent spread. 

  • Mandatory online parent orientation session to review safety guidelines
  • Health screenings before entry inside Club facilities and Club transportation
  • Required masks for staff and members
  • Frequent hand washing, additional sanitation efforts
  • Physical distancing measures
  • Limited movement within Club facilities and activities.
  • Members are also encouraged to bring water bottles as our water fountains will be retrofitted to fill bottles only.

We continue to monitor all updates from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Environmental Health of the Moore County Health Department for updated information, and are advising all staff, families, and youth members to continue to take precautions as recommended by the CDC.  To stay up to date on our COVID-19 policies and procedures visit: https://sandhillsbgc.org/coronavirus-parent-information/.

Please understand that even with these precautions in place, we are unable to guarantee there will not be exposure to COVID-19. We advise that you make any decisions for your family with this in mind.

We realize that Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills is the only place that some of the families in our community can turn to when schools are closed. We are monitoring this diligently and will continue to operate with these limitations in place as long as we are able to provide a safe environment for young people.  As always, we place the safety of our youth and staff at the highest level.

Our goal is to gradually increase enrollment to full capacity as North Carolina continues to move through phases of reopening under the executive orders issued by the Governor.

We will continue to provide virtual programming services to our members who are unable to attend at this time as well as to any youth in Moore County.  These resources can be found here: https://sandhillsbgc.org/club-at-home/

In addition, during the first two weeks of school (August 17th- August 28th) we will continue to provide meals for any youth ages 18 and under in partnership with Moore County Schools.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided via curbside pickup Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at our Southern Pines location. More information about the food program can be found on our website here: https://sandhillsbgc.org/school-closure-food-delivery/.

Should you have any questions or concerns about this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Our commitment to you and your children is unwavering.

Sincerely,

Fallon Brewington

Chief Executive Officer

 

COVID-19 Exposure Protocol for BGCS Staff and Members

  • The infected employee or member should be sent home until released by their medical provider or local health provider.
  • All employees/members who were in close proximity (within six feet) with that employee/member will be sent home to ensure the infection does not spread.
  • Before the infected employee/member departs, ask them to identify all individuals who were in close proximity (within six feet) for a prolonged period of time (more than a few minutes) with them in the previous 14 days to ensure you have a full list of those who should be sent home.
  • When sending employees and/or members home, we will not identify by name the infected employee or member as it is a violation of confidentiality laws.
  • We will inform facilities management so they can take whatever precautions they deem necessary.
  • The CDC provides that the employees/member who were in close proximity to the infected employee or member “should then self-monitor for symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of breath).”
  • Those employees/members should first consult and follow the advice of their healthcare providers or public health department regarding the length of time to stay at home.
  • If those resources are not available, the employee/member should at least remain at home for three days without a fever (achieved without medication) if they don’t develop any other symptoms.
  • If they develop symptoms, they should remain home for at least seven days from the initial onset of the symptoms, three days without a fever (achieved without medication), and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath).

Club Facilities

The CDC also provides the following recommendations for most non-healthcare businesses that have suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases:

  • It is recommended and we will close off areas used by the ill persons and wait as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection to minimize the potential for exposure to respiratory droplets. Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area. If possible, we will wait up to 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection.
  • Cleaning staff will clean and disinfect all areas (e.g., offices, bathrooms, and common areas) used by the ill persons, focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces.

Parent and Caregiver Emotional Well-Being HANDOUT (DOWNLOAD)

Emotional Wellness Resources for Parents and Caregivers (DOWNLOAD)