Reopening Statement

Effective: Monday, June 14, 2021 Re: In-Person Meetings

At Safe Families PLUS, we have been closely following the advice and guidelines set forth by the CDC and City of Chicago, while paying close attention to the trends of COVID-19. Since the city has moved into full reopening, we have loosened some of the restrictions in place regarding in-person meetings.

In-person Match Meetings can completely resume at the comfort of mentors and youth. Most scheduled match meetings will be held at cafes with outdoor seating options or neighborhood parks to allow for social distancing as much as possible. Additionally, we are asking everyone in attendance who is not vaccinated to continue wearing face masks.

Also beginning June 14th, mentors and mentees can resume having in-person outings together. We have researched some of the safest ways to accommodate for the current climate, and have suggestions on where these meetings can take place outdoors. We also recommend mentors and mentees only meet in person if they are feeling well, have no COVID-19 symptoms, and if they have refrained from high-risk environments without a mask. Safe outing ideas include: taking a walk outdoors or at the lake, having a picnic in the park, going for a Divvy bike ride around the city, having coffee or a meal on an outdoor patio, and walking to an ice cream shop or Italian ice place nearby. We ask that mentors and mentees remain cautious if attending outdoor activities that may attract large crowds like festivals, theme parks, and zoos, by continuing to wear masks in these settings. If mentors and mentees decide on an indoor outing and they are unvaccinated, masks must still be worn.

If anyone is uncomfortable meeting in-person during this time, we completely understand. We can still arrange for a virtual match meeting to occur via Zoom or Google Hangouts. If your youth’s caretaker or residential staff suggest that the meeting or outing should happen indoors, the mentor coach and mentor will either be fully vaccinated or wearing face masks to prevent any potential exposure or contraction of COVID-19. If any mentors need masks or hand sanitizer before they meet with their youth, please let us know! If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please reach out to Brittani Kindle, Program Director, at bkindle@safefamilies.net.

Sincerely, Safe Families PLUS Staff