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United Cerebral Palsy Central California has been taking the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation seriously by monitoring the health of its children and adult students with disabilities as well as its staff.
Staff have been checking the temperatures of each student when they arrive to our sites in Fresno and Kings counties. Hand sanitizers have been stationed throughout the buildings and visitors have been asked to please use hand sanitizer upon entering our facilities. Staff members also have been walking through the building periodically each day and wiping down frequently touched surfaces with anti-bacterial wipes.
Staff members have been driving home the advice of the Centers for Disease Control, which is:
· To wash hands frequently
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
· Stay home if you’re sick.
· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects.
Unfortunately, with a virus like this, even these measures are not 100 percent effective.
At this time, UCPCC believes the safest measure to keep our students and staff free from harm is to follow any and all advice coming from the state of California, which states:
The Director of the Department of Developmental Services is directing regional centers to take immediate action to ensure consumers who have compromised immune systems or who are more susceptible to respiratory illness, and/or who reside in the following home types, remain home rather than attend day services outside the home:
• Adult Residential Facilities for Persons with Special Health Care Needs
• Intermediate Care Facilities/Developmentally Disabled-Nursing
• Intermediate Care Facilities/Developmentally Disabled-Continuous Nursing
This remains in effect for 30 days unless extended by the Director of the Department.
For Early Start In-Person Meetings/Early Start remote services
A regional center may conduct evaluation and assessment activities and provide Early Start coordination by remote electronic communications, including Skype, Facetime, video conference, or telephone conference.
Because there has not been a directive from the Department of Developmental Services to do so, UCPCC will keep its doors open as we will continue to be reimbursed for those students who are missing day program access. The only adjustments at this time affect our children’s programs, where staff are training students remotely.
The UCP Electronic Forum has included a space to engage in a dialogue with your UCP colleagues about precautions and best practices related to the coronavirus spread. Log on to https://ucp.org/forum/forum/coronavirus-covid-19-dialogue/ for details.
Following the suggestion of the CDC to cancel events expecting to draw 50 people or more, we also have decided to postpone the Second annual Cerebral Palsy Awareness fundraiser, which was to be held Saturday, March 28, from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. We already have been in talks with the event host on when that future date will be.
UCPCC will continue to use our social media channels, website and email to distribute information as it is available. We will also keep evaluating our response daily to ensure the safety of our students and staff.