Marin County has issued guidelines to let child care businesses and summer camps make plans to safely reopen and accept children of non-essential workers starting June 1.
Guidelines mandated by the county and approved by County Public Pealth Officer Dr. Matt Willis include social distancing, hand washing, face coverings, surface cleaning and disinfecting.
Group sizes are limited to 12 children or fewer, with guidance to keep the same group together for three weeks. Arrival times should be staggered and carpooling by parents is discouraged.
The guidelines also say most activities should be done outdoors to lower risk and that shared sports equipment or toys must stay within the designated group.
"Social distancing is not natural for kids," said Torrey Kelly, associate executive director of the Marin YMCA, who helped create the new guidelines. "If we have stable groups and small numbers, we can limit risk while letting kids be kids and have fun together."