Kyle daycares to reopen under restricted guidelines

KYLE, Texas - In a few days, child care facilities in Kyle may re-open under restricted guidelines.

Mayor Travis Mitchell posted on his Facebook page Wednesday announcing that childcare centers must comply with a new mayoral order effective Monday, April 20.

Childcare must be carried out in “stable” groups meaning the same children are in the same group each day. A maximum of five children from five different households will be in these groups, with up to nine children consisting of a maximum of three households.

Mitchell says if more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group has to be in a separate room and groups can’t mix with each other. Providers are asked to remain solely with one group of children. Staff must wear CDC-recommended face coverings at all times while working and sign up with the Texas frontline care child program to accept and admit children to their facility.

Employees must also follow all COVID-19 CDC and state guidelines for childcare providers. 

"The ability to respond to his directive takes a little bit of learning and understanding on how to create the constellations in the classroom, that’s a little more restrictive than what we’re handling in Austin where the classrooms are just designated by a simple number of nine children to one caregiver," Stepping Stone Schools owner Rhonda Paver said. "But in this instance, it would be two children."

"I think it’s a good thing and I think if things go well then some more of the restrictions will be eased up and we will be even in a better place," Paver added.

The mayoral order will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. on April 19 and will stay in effect until 11:59 p.m. April 30.

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