Cardinal Cushing Centers

Good Morning Cushing Community,

We have received many inquiries from families regarding our continued program operations given the recent closings from school districts, businesses, and agencies. Given the needs of those we support, it is important that we continue to provide a consistent and predictable schedule with health and safety at the forefront of all of our decisions. We currently have no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, however, this continues to be a fluid situation and things are evolving very quickly.

At this time, all of Cardinal Cushing Centers’ day and residential programs will remain open.  Our management team will be meeting daily to review the overall health and safety of our entire community to determine whether or not there is need for program closure.  Reasons for closure include: confirmed case of COVID-19, mandated state shut down, or public health order to shut down due to staffing shortages. There have been many families who have chosen to take their loved one home this past week. Cardinal Cushing Center’s decision to remain open with increased preventative measures is an option for families, however, attendance is not required.  We understand that each family needs to make thoughtful decisions based on their child/loved one.

As of next week, we will also be adding the additional safeguards:

• All students and adults participating in day and residential programs will have temperatures checked at the beginning of each day. If their temperature is higher than 100.2, parent/guardians will be notified and individuals will be sent home. This measure will also be taken for those students and adults in our residential program returning to program from visits home.
• We have cancelled all field trips and outings where large groups are present
• In addition to some of our community based employment sites being cancelled, we will be closing Hanover’s vocational work sites that are open to the community as of March 17^th.  This includes the Bass Café, Thrift Store, Cushing Trader, Greenhouse, and Bottle Redemption

Families of day students at Cardinal Cushing School Hanover or Braintree St. Coletta Day School:

• As of Tuesday, March 17^th:  If your designated public school district has cancelled school in your town and/or transportation, we ask you keep your child home until the mandatory closure for your town has ended. We cannot allow parents to drop their child off as we have in previous school closings due to inclement weather. This was an advisement from the Department of Early and Secondary Education this week.

We are so grateful for the outpouring of calls, emails, words of advice, and support that has been shared with our administration during this time.  While this is an incredibly anxious time for the entire world, it important we continue to remain calm and supportive of each other.  We will continue to keep all of you informed in the days ahead.

Be Well,

Michelle Markowitz
Interim President & CEO