Child Care Health Alert
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Updated COVID-19 Guidance from Washington State
Department of Health



The Washington State Department of Health updated its COVID-19 guidance for Child Care and Early Learning programs on September 13, 2021.

You can access this updated guidance at: 
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/DOH-OSPI-DYCF-SchoolsChildCareGuidance.pdf 


Report all cases of COVID-19 to your local health department
Health department staff will work with you to identify close contacts and provide guidance for your situation. In Snohomish County, continue to report all cases of COVID-19 in staff and students by calling 425-339-5278 or emailing childcarehealth@snohd.org. Visit our website for more information. 

Main updates include:
  • Reorganization of content to follow priority of recommendations in line with CDC.
  • Resources and information on vaccination for eligible and mandated groups.
  • Updated recommendations for cohorting and physical distancing.
  • Updated recommendations for symptom monitoring/health screening at home. 
  • Added information on communicating and reporting cases.
  • Updated recommendations on quarantine for fully vaccinated individuals.
  • General alignment with language for K-12 settings where relevant.
Pulling out a few specifics....
  • Most child care staff are required to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or have a medical or religious exemption (see more information below)
  • Masks continue to be required indoors for all adults and children ages 5 and up and are strongly encouraged for those ages 2-4 with supervision.
  • Continue to keep children in assigned cohorts and avoid mixing cohorts as much as possible. If children from different cohorts are mixed (like at the beginning or end of the day) keep groups from different cohorts separated by 6 feet.
  • Children in the same cohort should be kept 3' apart for table work when masked or 6' apart when unmasked (such as while eating) to the greatest extent possible. 
  • Maximize classroom ventilation (see pages 9-10) and incorporate plenty of outside time into your programming.
  • Children and staff who have symptoms of infectious illness, such as influenza (flu) or COVID-19, should stay home and seek medical evaluation, which may include testing for COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.
  • Close contacts who are fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms do not need to quarantine but should be tested 3-5 days following a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and wear a mask in all public indoor spaces for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result. If they develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19, they should isolate themselves from others, be clinically evaluated for COVID-19, and tested for SARS-CoV-2 if indicated.
  • Clean, sanitize, and disinfect throughout the day in accordance with the licensing regulations. See WAC 100-300-0241(11) cleaning schedules for more information. 
Essential Worker image from CDC

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement FAQ


There have been a lot of questions about the Governor's requirement for vaccination of child care and early learning staff by October 18. On September 15, the Washington State Department of Health released a "frequently asked questions" document to help clarify things. You can find the document by clicking on this link: 

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement FAQ for Child Care, Early Learning, and Youth Development Providers 
www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/820-216-VaccinationRequirementFAQChildCare.pdf

For Snohomish County you can find more information on the vaccine by visiting the Snohomish Health District vaccine information website. 

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Free Trainings for Child Care Providers


The Snohomish Health District Child Care Health Outreach program is offering several COVID-19 related trainings for child care providers. These trainings offer free in-service STARS credits. 

  • COVID-19 Vaccine Training for Child Care Providers
  • Building Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccination 
  • COVID-19 Class for Child Care Providers in Washington State
  • COVID-19 Class for Washington K-12 Schools
Please contact the Child Care Health Outreach program with questions. You can reach us at 425-252-5415 or by email at childcarehealth@snohd.org. 
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Snohomish Health District
3020 Rucker Ave., Everett, Washington

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