Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Lewis | 200625-N-TR141-0162 NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (June 25, 2020) Angie Bravo, operations...... read more read more
Young children learning to walk slowly pull themselves up, falter while attempting to take a step forward, regain their balance, and then slowly take that step forward.
Similar to learning to walk, the process of reopening facilities and programs at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota since Spain’s State of Alarm has been a slow and measured process. NAVSTA Rota leadership and staff have systematically been taking small steps around the installation to reopen facilities while implementing controls to protect both the employees and customers. With each small success, they turn their attention to additional services or lessened restrictions.
One of the installation’s successes was the reopening of Rota’s Child and Youth Programs (CYP) facilities, the Child Development Center (CDC) and School Age Care (SAC), to provide care for personnel in mission essential positions, June 15, 2020.
In order for the base to begin returning to normal operations, essential personnel needed care for their children age 10 and under so they could return to their work centers. The management team of Rota CYP had been working since the State of Alarm began in mid-March to prepare for the reopening of the facilities.
“In the weeks leading up to our reopening, the CYP management team was continuing their work on compiling all the guidance that has been funneled down to us from CNIC (Commander, Navy Installations Command), leadership and our on-base professionals,” explained Cathy Knapp, Rota youth director with CYP oversight.
The training team, in conjunction with management, then had the daunting task of consolidating all the information and instructions into talking points and training materials for CYP staff. In addition to interpreting the regulations, CYP management team had their own set of tasks and preparations.
“Our management team was creating staff work schedules and assignments, coordinating facility preparation and inspections with our on-base professionals, securing the required marketing, establishing menus, ordering food and cleaning supplies, and finalizing paperwork that would be required once we reopen,” said Knapp.
There were several urgent issues that CYP management had to address such as installing new protective barriers for operations staff, rearranging the classrooms to promote physical distancing, and establishing staff schedules in the weeks prior to reopening.
Luckily, Rota CYP was able to pull from the successes of other Navy CYP locations around the world that were already open and operating with the new mitigation measures. These programs were able to provide lessons learned as well as best practices that could be implemented locally. One new practice was implementing two CYP work teams, Blue and Gold.
“We staff the program with the Blue team one week and then the Gold team the next week,” said Christina Saunders, CDC director. “The intention is that it helps to minimize exposure between teams in order to stay mission ready.”
Minimizing employees’ and children’s exposure is just one public health consideration. All persons – children and adults – entering the facility must now go through an enhanced health screening including temperature checks and answering questions regarding their health and the health of those in their family units, and all adults must wear masks within facility.
Once the new procedures, protocols and training material were finalized, it was time to recall the staff to train them in preparation of the opening.
“Each staff member came back with a positive attitude and a strong willingness to get our programs back open and running smoothly,” said Knapp. “They appreciated the measures that have been put into place to protect the safety of the children and parents as well as the entire Rota CYP team.”
The frontline staff received training as well as cleaned and prepared the facilities to meet the new guidelines. Staff training included approximately 20 hours of training on new protocols and procedures for the facilities, effective hygiene measures and classroom and curriculum changes to promote physical distancing. CYP operations clerks and food service workers also received additional specialized training related to their work functions.
“In spite of the multitude of taskers to be completed, the CYP managers and team were very methodical and organized which made the reconstitution of our facilities and programs run very smoothly,” said Knapp.
While management and staff had prepared the facilities to ensure that they met mandated health screening and regulations, the focus remained on providing the best and as close as possible “normal” experience to their little customers.
Knapp described opening day as “thrilling” seeing the kids return to the programs and enjoying the dynamic environment and new toys.
At the CDC, Saunders explained that the children are receiving the same routine and structure they had prior to the lockdown, with some additional mitigation efforts. This includes reduced classroom size, replacement of “family style” meals and snacks with individual servings. All CYP staff wear masks in classrooms, no group sensory play such as water table or sand box is allowed, and additional cleaning and disinfecting procedures are being implemented.
“Our military children are amazingly resilient,” said Saunders. “The kids are doing such a great job at adjusting to life after the lockdown period.”
Saunders said the children have quickly learned the rules of their new normalcy with a little help from the cues the staff have placed in the facility and rooms.
“They are sitting at the spaces with the red squares, so they learn to physically distance,” explained Saunders. “They understand how many children can be in each play area and they follow the signs of where they are supposed to stand, so they do not crowd each other.”
Within the SAC facility, children are still given the freedom to move among the different zones, but some areas have been modified to allow for proper physical distancing. Additionally, the staff has also become more diligent in handwashing, disinfecting toys throughout the day, and cleaning procedures. Similar to CDC, the “family style” meals and snacks have been removed and replaced with individual servings.
“Our staff has done a great job of presenting the new regulations in a light-hearted way, making the changes easier for the children to grasp and accept,” said Signe Costales, Rota CYP assistant youth director.
While the summer camp at SAC is not the same as previous years, as there are no college-age camp counselors, Costales says the children will have a lot of fun with the summer programming Rota CYP has planned.
“Our staff at SAC has worked through the lockdown to create a fun and educational program, adding more clubs and activities throughout the day,” she said. “We will continue with weekly themes throughout the summer and use many onbase venues for field trips. We also are looking into inviting special guests to SAC who will add to our already exciting summer.”
As the heath protection condition, or HPCON, level changes, parents and children may see a reduction in some mitigation measures based on the recommendations of base public health professionals and leadership’s concurrence. But for the time being, the children at both facilities have adapted well to the changes and are enjoying being able to see and play with their friends and teachers.
When SAC employee Michele Ramelb-DelosTrino was asked what was the best part about returning to the facility, she immediately responded: the kids’ smiles.
“I loved coming back, being with them, and seeing their smiles,” said Ramelb-DelosTrino. “Just being with them and enjoying the time together.”
The reopening of the two CYP facilities is the first step of many to return to full operations – both for CYP and the base. Just like a child learning to walk, NAVSTA Rota will gain its balance in this new normal and soon be running full steam ahead.
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2020 06:54 |
| Story ID: | 373302 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 285 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, One Step Forward: Rota Child & Youth Programs Reopen, by Courtney Pollock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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