After months of greeting their teachers and classmates through online platforms, the keiki of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Children’s Center (UHMCC) are carefully being welcomed back into the classroom.
Prior to reopening, UHMCC developed a staggered opening plan to better control processes and procedures. On June 15, UHMCC opened its doors to three ʻohana groups, or smaller classes, to create a more stable and self-contained environment with assigned indoor and outdoor spaces with 22 children, 11 staff members and five student helpers. Then, on June 22, the children’s center added 23 more children, six more employees and three student helpers.
As of July 6, 72 children were enrolled in six ʻohana groups—five on the UH campus, one at Kuhio Elementary School—with 23 UH employees and 13 student workers helping in the classrooms.
“When we closed March 23, we thought it would be just for a short while,” said UHMCC Director Leilani Au. “Three months later, we are delighted to be back at work with the children and families. We do have non-stop, on-going worry about keeping children and staff safe, but are mostly happy to be here doing what we do best! The families are grateful to have childcare again, both so they can work more effectively and also because the children missed their friends and teachers and at this age social interactions matter for their healthy development.”
To ensure a safe classroom environment for the children, faculty and staff, UHMCC reduced its enrollment to nearly half of the students it accepted in spring 2020. UHMCC has also designated a single-entry point into the campus where keiki are greeted by staff wearing face coverings to give initial health screenings before they can enter the classrooms. Parents and visitors are currently not allowed inside the classroom or playground spaces.
Children and staff remain separated from other groups and are kept smaller than usual to encourage social distancing while still providing essential social interactions for the keiki. The children have most of their fun outdoors on the playground or running through sprinklers to beat the summer heat. If they take walks on UH or DOE property outside of the UHMCC program, all children will wear face coverings.
“We clean more and do more handwashing, in addition to the morning and midday health checks, making it possible for children to be in a safer ʻohana bubble,” Au said. “There’s still lots of play, hugs and laughs!”
For more details on the reopening, visit the UHMCC website.
—By Janica Marie Pascua
