ChildSavers’ COVID-19 Response

Mental Health Services

We are committed to maintaining our critical mental health services as long as it is safe to do so and will continue to offer therapy sessions from our clinic in Church Hill.

We believe it is more important than ever for our doors to be open to the children, youth, and families we serve.

ChildSavers is taking the following measures to keep clients safe and healthy:

• Closely monitoring the information from the Virginia Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control and following their directions.
• Limiting the number of clients/staff in the waiting room and creating additional waiting space throughout our clinic.
• Staggering therapy sessions throughout the day to reduce the number of people in the building at one time.
• Requiring all staff who can work remotely to do so to limit the number of people in the building.
• Hiring a nurse to screen everyone (including staff) who walks in the building for symptoms of COVID-19.
• Exploring teletherapy as an option to continue care without exposure.
• Encouraging hand washing among staff, youth and families in our building.
• Routinely cleaning frequently touched surfaces, including daily upgraded sanitation.
• Supplying therapy and play rooms with hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes.

At this time, ChildSavers will remain open and continue to have sessions in addition to offering 24/7 trauma support. We are committed to remaining a source of support for our clients and their families during these difficult times. However, we will need to cancel your appointment if you, your child, or another individual with you has had a fever (above 100.4), diarrhea, vomiting, persistent cough, or other flu-like symptoms the last 48 hours and will reschedule for when you are no longer contagious. 

We are asking children, youth, and families to:

• Reschedule appointments via phone or text message if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms or are not feeling well or have been exposed to someone experiencing flu-like symptoms.
• Wait in their cars throughout their child’s therapy sessions.
• Wash their hands at the beginning and end of appointments.
• Cover mouths and noses with tissues or elbows when sneezing or coughing and throw away tissues.
• Notify a staff member if they or someone in their home has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Child Development Services

Dear Providers –

Every day you give your all to care for our community’s children, and continually overcome routine challenges like staffing, behavior challenges, and facility management with a smile on your face. With the threat of COVID-19 in our area, all of that seems like a walk in the park compared to the unknowns that we are currently facing.

We at ChildSavers want you to know that we appreciate all that you are doing to support those families who need to work. Without available child care, the livelihoods of many would come to a halt.

During this stressful time, please know that more than ever we are here for you. The Child Development Services Team at ChildSavers has always been here to celebrate your successes or offer a solution to a difficult situation. We are here with you now to offer our support, even if it’s just someone to talk to. We are here to help you through this process.

Our services may look different over the next few weeks. Our CDS team is following the CDC recommended guidance to social distance whenever possible. We will be offering phone consultation on any and all things early care, giving advice to keep staff stress at a minimum, and helping provide ideas for keeping children busy. We are even good listeners if you just want to call and talk through current needs.

I know training and coaching might be the last thing on your plate but sometimes a bit of normalcy is just what folks need to keep their mind busy. We will be offering free coaching through distant platforms and training through webinar formats. Updates on virtual trainings are to come.

In addition, we encourage you to monitor updates from the Virginia Department of Health, CDC, and World Health Organization.

In the meantime, we are just a call away!

• Virginia Quality: Cristin McKnight | (804) 591 – 3968
• Voluntary Registration: Dorothy Shears-Billups | (804) 591 – 3923
• Child Development Associate (CDS) Credentialing Training: Koni Garofalo | (804) 387 – 4148
• Child Care Aware: Patricia Koon | (804) 591 – 3919
• Virginia Infant Toddler Specialist Network: Jess Templeman | (804) 591 – 3978
• Child and Adult Care Food Program: Joyce Mason | (804) 591 – 3924

Rest assured that our CACFP team will still be processing claims and submitting information to our partners at Virginia Department of Health. If visits are needed, special precautions will be taken to make sure that you are safe, your children are safe, and our staff remains safe.

Stay well, and thank you for all you do!

We will continue to update this page and other communication channels with any changes. If you have any questions, please call ChildSavers at 804-644-9590.