April 2024

Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs

The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services jointly released a policy statement on November 28, 2023, regarding the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. This policy statement states that “all young children with disabilities should have access to high-quality inclusive early childhood programs that provide individualized and appropriate support so they can fully participate alongside their peers without disabilities, meet high expectations, and achieve their full potential.”

The responsibility to ensure that young children with disabilities and their families are included in high-quality early childhood programs is shared among governmental agencies, early childhood systems, early childhood programs and providers, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools. Child care providers can ensure that children with disabilities in their care are receiving individualized and appropriate support through the implementation of an individual care plan. See below for examples of individual care plans.

Public Health Seattle & King County Individual Care Plan found here.
American Academy of Pediatrics Individual Care Plan found here.

Read the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services policy statement here.

Guidance and assistance are available from the staff of the Child Care Health Outreach Program at the email address and phone number listed below:

Email: shd.childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us

Phone: 425-252-5415

Child Care Choice Voucher Program

In partnership with Opportunity Council, Snohomish County provides temporary child care tuition assistance to eligible families looking for work, participating in employment-related activities, or at risk of losing child care placement due to nonpayment.

To learn more, visit the Child Care Choice webpage here.

To receive a referral link, email cc_navigator@oppco.org.

For more information, contact: Liz Steele: 564-565-0235 or Chelsey Cragin: 564-565-0237.

Information banner about cinnamon applesauce recall and lead poisoning prevention

Click on the above image for more information about Childhood Lead Poisoning

FREE Lead EDUCATION MATERIALS FOR FAMILIES

Did you know that Washington State has the lowest blood lead testing rate in the entire country? Even children who are on Medicaid and are required to be tested at ages 12 and 24 months, or at least once by the time they are 6 years old, are not receiving a blood lead test. This means that there are likely many children who have high blood lead levels that have not been identified. There is no safe level of lead for children. The sooner that children with lead in their blood are identified, the sooner the source of lead can be identified and removed. The longer lead is in a child's body, the more damage it can cause to the brain, nervous system, and other organs.

Snohomish County Health Department would like to bring informational packets to child care facilities. In these packets are colorful small brochures, available in a variety of languages, that can be sent home with each family. There is also information for the child care on ways to make your center or home lead-safe. The visit by our staff only takes about 15 minutes. To schedule a visit and get your packet, please send an email to shd.childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us

Image of lead brochure that is available for families in different languages

FDA ALERT: Ground Cinnamon Products containing Elevated Levels of Lead

Through product testing, the FDA has determined that several ground cinnamon products contain elevated levels of lead and that prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe. Contaminated products include the brand names La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Swad, Supreme Tradition, and El Chilar. These items were shipped to national retailers and distributed through Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar General in Washington.

Consumers should stop using and dispose of these products.

More information can be found here.

COVID-19 INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Remember to report any outbreaks and medically diagnosed cases of COVID-19 that occur at your child care or early learning facility via our website.

The Washington State Department of Health has updated the guidance for K-12 Schools, child care and early learning facilities regarding respiratory illness, including COVID-19. For more information please see the Health Alert sent out 4/2/2024.

If you are not signed up to receive health alerts from our team, you can do so on our website.

More information on updated COVID-19 guidance can be found in Snohomish County Health Department's Blog: Public Health Essentials

If you have questions about these guidance changes, or would like assistance in updating or implementing your health policy, please reach out to our team at 425.252.5415 or by email at shd.childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us

Free test kits for child cares - LIMITED SUPPLY REMAINING - Child cares can request COVID-19 tests to share with families at no charge through the Snohomish County Health Department. To request your kits and discuss the pick-up process, you must send an email to shd.childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us.

Tests are NOT available on a drop-in basis. Test kits can be picked up at our downtown Everett office or delivered to the child care facility.

4Things to know about the updated COVID guidance

Remember to check CPSC for Recalls

Don't forget to periodically check the Consumer Product Safety Commission website for recalls that may affect your child care. See below for some recently recalled products.

Roller Ball Candy Type Products

CPSC warns consumers to stop purchasing and using all roller ball candy type products due to choking hazard. Stop use and dispose of these products. Follow the links to read about recent recalls involving roller ball candy:

Report incidents involving this candy, or any product-related injury here.

ADDITIONAL CPSC RECALLS and safety warnings

SINGES 3-in-1 High Chair and Booster Seats recalled due to fall hazard. Sold exclusively at Walmart.
Jool Baby Nova Baby Infant Swings recalled due to suffocation hazard. Found to be in violation of the CPSC’s Infant Sleep Products Regulation and the Safe Sleep for Babies Act.
Bubble Bear Crib Mattresses recalled due to fire hazard. Sold exclusively on Amazon.
Comfi Baby Infant Walkers recalled due to fall and entrapment hazards. Sold exclusively on Amazon.
Kidde Fire Extinguishers with Plastic Handles recalled due to failure to discharge and nozzle detachment.

CPSC Safety Warning: Water Beads are a growing risk facing young children, with hazards going beyond ingestion, expansion, and obstruction. New evidence points to toxicity in some products, which may lead to adverse health effects.

Speaker available for parent education

Does your early learning program have parent education nights? Snohomish County Health Department has a speaker available to provide information on lead poisoning prevention at family education events. The majority of our availability is for online learning, although we do have some slots available for in-person trainings. Please contact us at shd.childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us or 425-512-5249 to get more information.

We appreciate your patience as we continue to update our courses to enhance your learning experience. Classes are being offered AT NO COST at this time.

For questions about our online classes, contact our team at SHD.ChildCareHealth@co.snohomish.wa.us or via phone at 425.252.5415.

This Month's Featured Classes

Tiny Bites: Oral Health in the Child Care Setting

The most common chronic disease in children is tooth decay. This is especially true in underserved populations. This course will focus on the importance of dental health in children, pediatric oral health recommendations, and how to be an oral health advocate in the child care setting. Information and guidance is provided on nutrition, oral health practices, alternative oral health activities, and methods for toothbrushing in child care.

Register Here

Lactation Feeding Friendly Child Care (LFE)

We recognize that one of the barriers that families face when they return to work is how to continue to provide human milk to their child. Understanding the value of human milk for young children, we have created a program to recognize child care facilities that have taken specific steps to make their program a lactation feeding friendly environment (LFE). We are offering a lactation and feeding-friendly child care environment course to promote inclusivity and support for parents who wish to continue breastfeeding, ensuring that child care providers are knowledgeable and equipped to create a comfortable and accommodating environment for breastfeeding and bottle-feeding infants. By offering this course, we aim to empower child care providers with the necessary skills and understanding to meet the unique needs of lactating parents and their babies, fostering a nurturing and inclusive child care setting.

This program and course have been developed by the Snohomish County Health Department in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), the Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington, and with the participation of King County Public Health.