Mills County Emergency Management officials have released recommendations for daycare and childcare providers, in light of State Regulations on gatherings:

Daycare and childcare providers must ensure that children be kept in groups of ten or fewer. Children shall not change from one group to another if more than one group of children is cared for in one facility. Groups must be kept in separate rooms and groups may not mix.

Highest Priority Childcare – In the Event That Daycare Is Limited:

There is a rapidly changing situation with COVID-19. If provision of daycare does become more limited, officials have priority or critical areas to address, as follows:

Mills County Public Health’s (MCPH) recommended priority group for childcare is intended to assist officials with providing essential functions within the healthcare delivery system, government and other critical infrastructure. It is understood that childcare plays a key role in allowing individuals to perform their duties and MCPH appreciates your cooperation.

GOAL: Ensure working parents serving in critical roles, defined below, who are impacted by school closures continue to have access to childcare.

ELIGIBILITY: For those parents with children 12-years-old and younger, this service will be limited to a two-parent household who both work, or single parent who works, in the following fields:

• All hospital staff;
• All healthcare providers in private practice and all direct care staff;
• Staff who provide critical government infrastructure: examples include social services, child protection services, public health officials tax collection, corrections and other public safety;
• Emergency responders;
• Food service workers, including grocery store staff and limited restaurant staff to include supporting take-away options;
• and Others as approved by the Mills County Public Health Administrator.