CDC's Decision Making Tool for Deciding How Your Child Goes Back To School

The CDC published a School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians that may be helpful (updated July 23, 2020)for deciding if your child should return to campus or stay on remote learning. We all know and agree that school is a vital part of each child’s growth and development. The current world situation makes this decision one that requires some forethought on our part as parents and caregivers. We will be considering many factors, such as individual preferences, health concerns, work situations, and school considerations. When making decisions about school for your family, there are many things to think about beyond academics, such as access to social services and social-emotional support from peers and educators. There are also your personal individual preferences, health concerns, work situations, and school considerations.

As you are making decisions about your child(ren) returning to school, it is important to consider the full spectrum of risks involved in both in-person and virtual learning options. Parents, guardians, and caregivers should weigh the relative health risks of COVID-19 transmission from in-personal instruction against the educational, social-behavioral, and emotional risks of providing no in-person instruction when deciding between these two options. 

We know that certain underlying medical conditions can increase severe illness from COVID-19. Additionally, children who are medically complex, who have neurologic, genetic, metabolic conditions, or who have congenital heart disease might be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, compared to other children. Parents and guardians should consider whether other household members are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 when making decisions about which activities to resume including a child’s return to in-person instruction. If you, your child, or a household member are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, you will need to weigh the benefits, risks, and feasibility of the educational options available.

Aside from a child’s home, no other setting has more influence on a child’s health and well-being than the school. The in-person school environment not only provides educational instruction, but supports a child’s social and emotional skills, safety, speech, mental health, and opportunities for physical activity. The CDC has published a Decision Making Tool to help families with this important task. This tool is designed to help you weigh the risks and benefits of available educational options in making the decision about sending your child back to school.

It is important to take the information learned and compare it to the  UA Return to Campus Guide in making your decision for your family. Please take a moment to read the article in its entirety here. No matter how you decide, Union Academy is committed to serving your child(ren).