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Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Dear Friends:
 
I think I join many of you in feeling and experiencing this COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic as one of the biggest challenges we have faced in a long time.
 
In less than a week, we have closed all of our classrooms, closed 9 of our sites, stopped over half of our employees reporting to a worksite, and put in place countless new procedures and protocols for our work. Despite all of these steps, it is not enough, and we must do more to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus in our community.
 
By the end of this week, we will be operating only two sites, with limited essential staff physically on site. Most of our staff are and will be at home, with many working from home.
 
Our guiding principles throughout this process have been to find ways to best support our children and families who rely on us and to protect and support our employees, who are the champions of our work each and every day.
Following these guidelines I want to update you on additional steps Children’s Friend is taking in response to this pandemic:
 
  1. Only home visits which are deemed “critical” by both an employee and their supervisor, can be conducted in person, and with the use of proper safeguards. All other home visits are being conducted via phone or through virtual technology.
  2.  While we began allowing employees to start working from home this week, all employees approved to work from home must work from home beginning on Monday, March 23rd.
  3. All classes, trainings, events, and group meetings remain canceled until further notice.
  4. Effective Monday, March 23rd, our Friendship and Dexter sites will be open weekdays from 8 am till 4 pm, to support the delivery of WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) services. Extensive screening and precautions will be in place to help protect families and our staff.
  5. All other Children’s Friend sites will remain closed until further notice.
 
We believe the above steps, along with the actions we have previously taken, will allow us to continue to provide as many critical services to our kids and families as we can. They will also allow us to maintain needed contact with all of our families throughout this situation, and provide as safe an environment as possible for all.
 
We also need to take care of our employees throughout this crisis. I am pleased to let you know that all employees of Children’s Friend will continue to receive their regular pay and benefits through April 3rd.
 
Thank you for your support and partnership in these unsettled and trying times. We do not know how long this situation will last, nor do we know how bad it will get. Though I am very confident that working together we will get through it.
 
Thank you and be safe.
David Caprio,
President and Chief Executive Officer
 

Click here to read all of Children’s Friend coronavirus updates.

 

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