The Texas and Human Services Commission has announced it will be updating its website daily with self-reported COVID-19 cases related to child care operations. | Flickr
The Texas and Human Services Commission has announced it will be updating its website daily with self-reported COVID-19 cases related to child care operations, according to a Texas HHSC release.
The information will pertain to cases at regulated licensed child care centers, school-age programs, and programs that take place before and/or after school.
“We’re pleased to provide this data so parents and guardians will be informed when making important decisions about their children’s care,” David Kostroun, HHSC deputy executive commissioner for Regulatory Services Division, said in the HHSC release. “We appreciate the Attorney General’s recent guidance that allows us to provide this additional data as permissible by law.”
Reported cases of the coronavirus at child care operations will include both employees and children. Child care operations are already required to report cases to HHSC under emergency rules issued by the agency in June. Other emergency rules, as detailed in a HHS website post, include requiring child day care operations to conduct daily screenings of anyone entering the premises, conducting drop-off and pick-up procedures outside the operation, wearing gloves for diaper changes, and cleaning toys in between use by different children.
HHSC posting data related to cases of the coronavirus at child care centers and school programs comes less than a month after HHSC announced it would be providing information on cases at state supported living centers, hospitals, nursing facilities and assisted living facilities.
“HHSC has a legal and ethical obligation to protect the private health information of everyone we serve, both in the private facilities we regulate and those we operate,” HHS Executive Commissioner Phil Wilson said in a HHSC release on July 27. “We appreciate the guidance from the Attorney General of Texas, which allows us to release this additional data while maintaining important personal privacy protections.”
While data for child care operations, state hospitals and supported living centers will reflect cases as of the previous business day, data posted for nursing and assisted living facilities will reflect cases for the prior two weeks.
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