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March 18, 2020
BHK COVID-19 Response
BHK Centers/Classrooms are closed until April 14, 2020.----------------------------------------------
Like so many now, here at BHK we are juggling a steady influx of rapidly changing information as we try to make the best decisions in response to the COVID-19 situation. It is a challenging time. We have to balance the needs of our families, our staff and our community partners while remaining in compliance with the Office of Head Start. And as you know, BHK-operated centers have remained in session, while the public K-12 schools all closed this week. We understand that this has caused some confusion and concern.
All K-12 schools were mandated in an executive order from the Governor, to close their doors on Monday – this put us in an awkward position, as we are not a K-12 school, yet some of our classrooms are inside the public schools. Additionally, we received guidance from the Office of Head Start, our governing agency, stating that centers ‘heavily impacted’ by an infectious disease (such as COVID-19) should close. We were advised to coordinate with our local health department to determine how and when we should close our centers. As of Tuesday, March 17, there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 in the Upper Peninsula, and thus no immediate need to close our centers.
It is important to remain informed and be prepared for the possibility of an outbreak in our local region. And as we look ahead to the coming weeks, we have felt that the safest course of action is to close all BHK centers for the period of March 23 – April 2, and resume operation on Monday, April 6. We will continue to closely monitor the progression and spread of COVID-19, and will update you if there are any changes made to this plan.
Please remember that staying calm, responding with intention, and being mindful of how you inform yourself on the changing situation is extremely important. Any threats the virus poses can be exacerbated by hasty decisions and chaotic reactions.
We value each and every member of our team, as well as the families we serve – and we hope that you stay safe, healthy, and patient in the days and weeks ahead.
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