At ECLC, during pick-up and drop-off, a mask is required for both parents, ECLC workers, and ECLC student teachers. Masks are not required for ECLC children.

In response to Executive Orders issued by Governor Tim Walz, face coverings are not required for infants or children younger than age two (2) because of the danger of suffocation. Children between the ages of two (2) and five (5) years are not required to wear a face covering, but are encouraged to wear a face covering if they can do so reliably without frequently touching or removing the face covering, and can handle the face covering safely throughout the day.  If a childcare provider cares for children who are five (5) and under, but also cares for children older than five (5), the childcare provider can exempt children older than five (5) from face covering and face shield requirements.

At MLC ECLC, the ECLC Committee has determined that since
ECLC provides childcare to children ages six (6) weeks to Kindergarten,
that children will not be required to wear a
face covering while attending childcare at ECLC.

November 6, 2020, ECLC Update:

Dear Families Enrolled at the MLC ECLC,

The mission of the MLC ECLC is “to partner with parents to provide experiences that nurture the spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development of their young children” as well as “to provide experiences for observation, participation, and student teaching for MLC early childhood education students.” We remain dedicated to this mission, and we treasure our partnership with you. Safety and responsibility are important parts of our relationship with you and with the New Ulm community. We believe that we have taken the proper precautions on our main campus and at the Center, and as we continue to work closely with Brown County Public Health and the Minnesota Department of Health, we feel we can take more steps to ensure the continued safety of our facility and our ability to serve you and your children with Christian education and care. More cases may or may not arise, and more quarantines may or may not be necessary. The only responsible way to prevent further spread of this virus and to keep children and families safe is to continue to follow all cleaning and safety protocols in our building, and we encourage you to do the same at home as you monitor the health of your children and the precautions you take both in and outside of your homes. In addition, we will be instituting a mandatory masking policy for all adults/teachers at the ECLC. While we are still not under this constraint (the mask mandate allowed for this exception), we feel it is one more way to move forward and to continue offering safe instructional practices. We will institute the use of clear masks where teaching practices can be enhanced while maintaining safety. We’ve also moved to a newer and more effective sanitizing product. An air purifier has been moved from a building on the main campus to the ECLC. Finally, we will continue to discuss possible student groupings to minimize quarantine necessities.

Please know that we deeply regret the inconvenience quarantines have caused for you, in particular, the
interruption this causes in the educational and care needs of your children. We look forward to continuing to serve you and your children. God bless you.

The ECLC Faculty & Staff
The Administration of Martin Luther College

July 25, 2020:

In response to Executive Orders issued by Governor Tim Walz, the ECLC workers and ECLC student teachers will wear a face covering in communal indoor areas such as, but not limited to hallways, lobbies, restrooms, and workrooms. Face coverings or face shields are encouraged outdoors when unable to maintain social distancing.

The Executive Order allows flexibility for child care surrounding the use of face shields, which increase the visibility of facial expressions and lip movements to aid in speech perception and child development and learning. For this reason, the ECLC workers and ECLC student teachers providing care to infants and toddlers, ages six (6) weeks to 36 months, will be allowed to wear a face shield as an alternative to the face covering.

ECLC workers and ECLC student teachers may temporarily remove their face covering or face shield when these instances occur, provided that social distancing is maintained to the extent possible:

  • If by wearing the face covering or face shield, a hazard would be created for the individual or others.
  • Eating or drinking.
  • Communicating with an individual who is deaf or hearing impaired, has a disability or medical condition that makes communication difficult.
  • When participating in certain physical activities or playing certain instruments.
  • When performing or presenting.
  • When activities may cause the face covering or face shield to get wet.

ECLC workers and ECLC student teachers may remove their face covering or face shield when in an indoor classroom that is confined to one group or cohort. ECLC workers and ECLC student teachers are encouraged to wear a face covering or face shield in these settings to the extent possible, especially when social distancing cannot be maintained, unless wearing a covering or shield would interfere with child development.

Face Shield Disclaimer: It is not known whether face shields (a clear plastic barrier that covers the face) provide the same source control for droplets as face masks, but they may be an option in situations where wearing a face covering is problematic as identified in this section. For optimal protection, the shield should extend below the chin and to the ears, and there should be no exposed gap between the forehead and the shield’s headpiece.

Any other MLC worker, MLC student, permitted contractor, or permitted visitor that receives permission to enter ECLC for MLC-related purposes will follow the MLC COVID-19 Preparedness Plan Face covering protocol.