Coronavirus Update: School, Adult Day Program Closures

Eden School:

After conferring with the 34 school districts that send students to the Eden School in regards to upcoming closures, we will be closed for a minimum of two weeks due to the coronavirus beginning Monday, March 16.

We realize that this will create a significant challenge to each of our families.

On Monday and Tuesday, March 16 and 17, staff will report to the school to develop the in-home learning plans referenced in our previous email for the period in which the school is closed.

You will be hearing from school staff this coming week to review plans for your child during this time. We apologize for the short notice of the school closure and the challenge it will present to you and your family.

Adult Day Program:

The New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) has issued the below directive to adult service providers, including Eden last evening.

Eden’s adult day program will be open at all facilities on Monday, March 16, with the closure beginning on Tuesday, March 17.

Management and staff are actively engaged in working out the details of how we will put this directive into effect in the best interests of our adult participants, their families, and staff.

Additional information will be shared with families and staff as soon as we have finalized the logistics associated with this evolving situation.

Should you have missed DDD’s communication to families and other stakeholders, we have provided it below.

If you have any questions, please contact Bridgette Connolly, bridgette.connolly@edenautism.org, or Edyta Zak-Burns, edyta.zak-burns@edenautism.org.

Click here for an update on Eden’s health and safety practices in response to the coronavirus.

DDD GUIDANCE: DAY PROGRAM CLOSURES & DISCONTINUED COMMUNITY OUTINGS RELATED TO COVID-19

Dear Individuals, Families and Stakeholders:

The highest priority of the Division of Developmental Disabilities is the health and safety of the individuals we serve. Early information on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggests that older adults and people with chronic or underlying health conditions have a heightened risk of getting very sick if they become infected. An important step to preventing the spread of COVID-19 is to eliminate large groups of people congregating together.

For this reason, DDD is calling for immediate actions to help prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). No later than Tuesday, March 17, all Division-funded, facility-based day services have been directed to close until advised otherwise.

Additionally, the Division has directed that community outings facilitated by providers that are not for the health or safety of an individual should be discontinued immediately.

The immediate health and safety of the individuals we serve are our top priority, and we are committed to working with our individuals, their families, and provider community to identify the best available solutions to keep individuals safe.

We recognize that this guidance will raise immediate questions about service delivery and reimbursement. The Division will provide additional details over the weekend, but we wanted to get this message to you all as quickly as possible. This is an evolving situation, we will stay in touch often, and we encourage stakeholders to monitor state and national public health websites for the most up-to-date information and guidance.

Thank you.

Jonathan Seifried

Assistant Commissioner

New Jersey Department of Human Services

Division of Developmental Disabilities

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