Serving Families, Staying Safe

March 16, 2020

Dear Kaleidoscope Community –

This is a challenging time for all of us, as we are living in a time of shared concern and caution. I wanted to let you know how we are doing our part to reduce exposure to illness and prevent the spread of COVID-19 among our teams, our families and our community.

Effective immediately, we will be working remotely through close of business on Monday, March 30. As ever, our teams will remain in close communication with our families and will be maintaining the safety, health and well-being of every child, youth and young adult.

Protecting our children – as ever

We will continue scheduled check-ins with families whenever possible, except if they are ill or categorized as high risk under the CDC guidelines. Seeing children is at the core of what we do to ensure their safety, and we cannot break this commitment – especially in times of crisis.

We will be in regular contact with every one of our families to further minimize disruption in services and meet their changing needs. We will also provide them with the latest expert-recommended guidance for their health and safety.

Protecting our staff

Nearly everyone on our staff has the ability to work remotely in some capacity year-round. We have further equipped our team with essential tools stay safe and maintain close communication, including remote work procedures, laptops, gloves and sanitizers.

We have also expanded our PTO policy to allow our staff the time they need to care for themselves and their families.

Protecting our community

All large gatherings, such as trainings, meetings and tours, will be postponed or occur via video/phone conferencing if possible. Visitors to our offices will be limited to essential services only, and only pre-approved visitors will be allowed. No in-kind donations will be accepted during March and April.

Our annual fundraiser, Stories that CONNECT, has been postponed. We will announce a new date via our website and social platforms as available.

As the situation and CDC, IDPH and CDPH recommendations continue to develop, we will be working around the clock to ensure the safety, health and well-being of our teams, families and community. Thank you for your patience as we and our our entire nation adapt to these new circumstances.

As a final note, I want to assure you that our primary focus remains the safety of the children, youth and young adults we serve. Our essential services are being delivered differently, but we will not disrupt the vital care and support that our young people need and deserve.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your primary staff member directly or reach out to me.

Stay well,
Kathy
Kathy Grzelak, LCPC
Executive Director
Kaleidoscope, Inc.

P.S. The state has told us that they will NOT be covering the costs of our additional supplies to ensure our staff, children’s and community’s safety. Your gift right now will sustain our vital programs during and after this crisis. Thank you!