Click here to visit our website November 2020

What's In This Newsletter?

Health Alert – 11/13/20
COVID-19 Reminders
Governor Jay Inslee Address to the State
What to Know about Gatherings
What to Do with a Runny Nose
Protecting Children from Lead Poisoning
Understanding Infants: Building Relationships with Babies
Seven Types of Self-Care: Spiritual Strategies
The Gift of Gratitude
COVID-19 and Farm to ECE Survey - a Chance to Win!
Child Care Health & Safety Featured Classes – don’t forget to apply for reimbursement!

Health Alert

If you did not receive the Health Alert that was sent out by the Child Care Health Outreach Program on November 13, 2020, find it here. If you are not already subscribed to receive health alerts, you can do so here.

Governor Jay Inslee Address to the State

If you missed the Address to the State by Governor Jay Inslee and Trudi Inslee, find it here. Governor Inslee gives an important update on the COVID-19 pandemic. The new statewide restrictions announced by Inslee over the weekend can be found here.

COVID-19 Reminders

As we are now over 8 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to thank you for the hard work that is being done each day to maintain the health and safety of children and staff in child care facilities in our community. These are incredibly unique times and the need to work together as a community is as needed as ever. Please be diligent with the following COVID-19 preventive measures (listed below), and click here for a 1-minute video that reminds us of why all these measures are important to prevent the spread of the virus. No single measure is 100% effective by itself. But taken together, protection becomes more complete. Hint: the analogy is linked to Swiss cheese!

Face Coverings: All staff and children ages 5 and up must wear face coverings and it is strongly recommended for ages 2 to 4 years old.
Cohorting: Do not let groups mix (even during outdoor play time). Keep your cohorts as small as possible.
Ventilation: Keep windows open for air circulation whenever possible.
Physical Distancing: Maintain at least 6 feet from others as much as possible (see article below for guidance with infants).
Cleaning and Disinfecting: Continue COVID-19 cleaning protocols.
Screening: Continue screening children and staff for illness before allowing to enter care. Keep parents out of classrooms.

For additional information on these preventive measures, click here for child care specific guidance from the Snohomish Health District or here from the Department of Health.

What to Know about Gatherings

With cooler temperatures and winter weather upon us, you may be wondering how to stay safe while also staying connected with friends and family. Read Give Thanks Not COVID for guidance as well as other resources from the state, found here.

What to Do with a Runny Nose

If a child is not feeling well and has any symptoms of illness, even mild ones such as a runny nose, they should stay home. Other symptoms could include cough, sore throat, fever, chills, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, or loss of taste or smell. One symptom is enough to warrant staying home as a precaution.

We know it can be frustrating to keep a child home when they have mild symptoms. Children get sniffles, a cough, or upset stomachs from time to time, and this is usually not cause for alarm. But a pandemic is the time for extra caution, and we do ask that children stay home even if symptoms are mild.

For more information on cases and close contacts at your facility as well as other frequently asked questions, read School and COVID- What to Expect. To determine when a child can return to care, please see the chart from Washington State Department of Health.

Protecting Children from Lead Poisoning

Did you know that lead can harm a child’s growth, behavior, and ability to learn? Despite knowing for more than a century that lead is a neurotoxin that can cause irreparable harm, lead continues to be a threat to child development and physical health even at low levels of exposure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to a reduction in well child visits, less children are being tested for lead. Child care providers are in a unique position to help prevent lead poisoning - by advocating for children and educating their parents to request testing through primary care providers. Child care providers can also advocate for children by eliminating sources of lead poisoning within their child care center or home.

Young children below the age of 6 are the most susceptible to the harmful effects of lead. Their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults. Because their brains and nervous systems are developing at a rapid pace, they are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. They are also susceptible because they are closer to the floor and surfaces that may have lead-contaminated dust; they also may have more hand-to-mouth behavior. Blood levels are known to peak around 24 months of age.

There are no obvious symptoms of lead exposure. Those exposed to and affected by lead may not act or look sick. A blood test is the only way to identify if a child has an elevated blood lead level. Often it is not until a child reaches school age that learning and behavior issues become apparent.

All children should be screened for their risk of lead exposure at 12 and 24 months of age as well as any time that lead exposure or risk is suspected. Any children with learning or behavior challenges should be screened and tested. These tests are covered by Medicaid and most private health insurance plans. Federal law mandates that all children enrolled in Medicaid are required to get blood lead tests at ages 12 and 24 months. For more information, visit www.doh.wa.gov/lead.

Risk Factors for Lead Poisoning

Lives in or regularly visits any home built before 1978, especially if it has had recent repair
Has a sibling or friend with an elevated blood lead level
Has a parent or caregiver who either works with lead at their job or has a hobby that exposes them to lead
Is a recent immigrant, refugee or foreign adoptee
Uses traditional folk or ethnic remedies or cosmetics
Has pica behavior
Parent has a concern about the child’s development or behavior

Common Sources of Lead

The Child Care Health Outreach Program has additional information posted on our website, including common sources of lead. Also, Consumer Product Safety Comission provides more information on recalled products (you can type “lead” in the search box above the list of recalled items to narrow down the list of recalled items to those that pertain to lead violations).

What Else Can You Do?

Wash hands frequently, especially after being outside and before eating
Regularly dust with a damp rag, and wet mop floors to minimize lead dust
Use a mat inside the entrance to help trap dust from coming inside
Maintain your facility to minimize lead hazards like chipping, cracking or peeling paint
Use cold water for drinking, cooking and making infant formula. Routinely check water for lead and use filtration devices if needed
Encourage parents to have their children tested for lead
For more information on childhood lead poisoning, visit the Washington State Department of Health and Center for Disease Control websites

Understanding Infants: Building Relationships with Babies

“The more the child feels attached to the caregiver, the more he is secure in his acceptance of himself and the rest of the world. The more love he gets, the more he is capable of giving. Attachment is as essential to the developing child as eating and breathing.” - Robert Shaw, MD

There is incredible growth in the human brain between the ages of birth to 12 months. Other than in utero, the first year of life boasts the most rapid time of growth and change in the brain during the lifespan. During infancy, baby develops his gross and fine motor skills, problem solving or cognitive skills, communication skills and personal-social skills.

One of the most important things that goes on in the first year of life is attachment and bonding to all caregivers, including child care providers. It is so incredibly crucial that this happen during infancy to support healthy development during these years and beyond.

There are several key factors in relationship building. Building trust, paying attention, listening to the child’s feelings, treating baby with kindness, providing caring touch and taking advantage of ordinary moments to interact with baby all build a connection between the caregiver and the infant.

Developing close bonds with caregivers has an impact later in life regarding the formation of positive relationships with others. Children with attachment disorders have challenges with relationships in general. Even if an infant is removed from an abusive caregiver where healthy bonding is lacking and placed in a loving family, they can have much difficulty attaching to the new caregivers. Older children, who do not have a secure attachment with a caregiver, have an even harder time bonding with new responsive caregivers.

One of the infant’s main tasks is to learn to trust their caregivers. Trust is best learned when the child is given the opportunity to express a need, usually through crying, and have the caregiver respond to and help meet that need quickly. When the need is met, the infant is soothed and calms down. When the caregiver is responsive, the infant learns that the world is a trustworthy place. If the caregiver is responsive rarely or inconsistently, the baby learns that expressing a need may be a waste of energy. In neglect situations, infants stop expressing needs and sadly attempt to soothe themselves. However infants are incredibly dependent on their adult caregivers and must have care in order to survive.

Infants flourish with our attention. They look for eye contact, smiles, holding and talking from us, and they respond accordingly. Back-and-forth communication or reciprocal contact is best. Our attention to baby is very powerful. Talk to baby while looking into his eyes, and then give him a chance to respond. This pausing is very important as it gives the infant the message that you want to hear what he has to say! When infants don’t receive appropriate attention, they eventually look away, disengage and stop expecting connection.

Listening to baby’s feelings is another important factor in relationship building with an infant. Before a child can communicate verbally, cries are the main tool infants use to communicate. Your job is to figure out what various cries mean. If baby is crying and very upset, try to identify the need and label the feeling instead of just saying “you’re okay.” Tell the baby what you imagine he is feeling. Then try to soothe baby. If you think that all of baby’s needs are met, he may need to cry for a few minutes as a stress relief mechanism. Do not let baby cry for more than about five minutes.

Treating the baby in your care with kindness helps her know that she is cared for. As she interacts with other children, she is more likely to treat them with kindness and love.

COVID-19 has posed lots of challenges, some of which may impact infant attachment. We know that providing caring touch and physical affection is something that all babies - and in fact all humans - need. Due to COVID-19 concerns, you may want to turn your head slightly to the side as you hold or hug a baby. Additionally the care provider needs to wear a mask at all times. If you find that the infants you are caring for are pulling on your mask, you can use a face shield as well. It is not adequate to use a face shield without a mask.

Make the most of the ordinary moments between you and the baby. Talk with and smile at the infant as you are changing a diaper, dressing, or feeding him. An ordinary moment is not all that ordinary when you get a huge toothless smile or when baby’s eyes light up when he sees you enter the room.

Along with the parents, the connection you make with babies in your care is incredibly important for their brain development. Secure attachments are the foundation for successful development in all areas. Conversely, if an infant experiences toxic stress from neglect or abuse, both the structure and overall growth of healthy connections between neurons in the brain are effected in a negative way.

So, enjoy the babies in your care. Hold them and cuddle with them when you can. Don’t worry about spoiling the young infant.
I will end with a quote by Brooke Hampton:

“Speak to children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become.”

7 Types of Self-Care: Spiritual Strategies

Self-care is about taking the time to put your health and well-being first. We are referencing Dr. Greg Markway’s seven types of self-care.

Spirituality is personal and looks quite different to each one of us. Getting in touch with your values, and what really matters to you, is an excellent way to calm your mind and cope with the stressors of daily life.

Spirituality is a broader concept than religion. According to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing, spirituality seeks a meaningful connection with something bigger than yourself, which can result in positive emotions, such as peace, awe, contentment, gratitude and acceptance. Spirituality is a personal practice. No matter what path is chosen, they all converge upon our deepest desires, such as the need for connection, purpose, and happiness. It is not surprising that many studies have shown that cultivating a spiritual life can have numerous health benefits.

There are several self-care activities you can try that may foster your spirituality. Perhaps you are already doing these activities, such as read an inspiring book, read or write poetry, meditate, spend time in nature, write or draw in a journal, think of 5 things that you are grateful for, pray, attend a virtual spiritual gathering, listen to those who inspire you on YouTube, or even watch children in your care play with one another.

In this feature, we would like to focus on the concept of humanity as it relates to spirituality. We would venture to say that most spiritual practices involve love and care for other human beings. Truly the human experience is something that all people on this planet share. So we all are connected to one another.

We have an old story that ties humanity to spirituality. The story uses the word “God” but you could substitute another word if you would like. The story is called “The Drowning Man.”

A guy was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help. Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the man shouted to the guy on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you!” The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s okay, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.” So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. The man in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, you are going to drown, I can save you.” To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.” So the motorboat motored on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.” Once again, the stranded man replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I am a believer.” So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, “I had faith in you but you did not save me, you let me drown. I don’t understand why!” To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?”

As you ponder the meaning of this story, consider what you can do to this week for your spiritual self-care. Steve Maraboli, author and speaker writes,

One of the most spiritual things you can do is to embrace your humanity. Connect with those around you today. Say, “I love you”, “I’m sorry”, “I appreciate you,” “I am proud of you;” whatever you are feeling. Send random texts, write a cute note, embrace your truth and share it… cause someone to smile today for someone else…and give plenty of hugs to loved ones in your household [clarification added].

We hope you will find a balance to nurture your physical and spiritual being.

The Gift of Gratitude

“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It is the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” -Amy Collette

We all have a lot to be thankful for. Sometimes the simplest of things are taken for granted. We forget how very fortunate we are. Gratitude is believed to be one of the healthiest emotions that humans can practice.

Did you know that research shows that cultivating gratitude has profound benefits including:

Reducing stress and anxiety
Boosting mood
Strengthening your immune system
Improving sleep

A simple way to cultivate a sense of gratitude is to keep a gratitude log. Each day, preferably at bedtime, write down one thing you are thankful for. Your journal will look different than anyone else’s log. Some of the things that I am grateful for include: a warm home, food, all that I can do physically, the privilege of growing older, enjoying children, laughing, going to the beach, friends. The list can be endless so feel free to get carried away!

Additionally, a 2019 study published in the Journal of Happiness found that gratitude is linked to happiness in children by age 5. This means that instilling gratitude in children at a young age could help them grow up be happier people. Other psychological studies have showed that grateful children tend to be happier, tend to engage with more hobbies and schoolwork, have better relationships and report greater satisfaction in general. Studies also show that these kids are less jealous, depressed and materialistic than ungrateful kids.

Are you wondering how to teach gratitude to children? You can start by encouraging them to say “Please” and “Thank you.” You can tell them that you are thankful for them and that there is nobody else in the world exactly like them. With preschoolers, you can draw things you are thankful for, or name them during circle time. Another thing you can do to teach gratitude to children, is to model being thankful. Children in your care will organically learn things from you. If you don’t practice gratitude, they won’t either. There are many activities to cultivate gratitude on the internet, or in books, that are geared toward children. Explore!

We with Snohomish Health District’s Childcare Health Outreach Program want you to know that we are thankful for you! We really appreciate the love you give and the dedication you have to ensure that our next generation is nurtured and cared for. We admire all of your hard work and energy. We feel blessed to be working with you.

I will end with a quote by Rabbi Harold Kushner:

“If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation,
You will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude,
A feeling that nurtures the soul.”

COVID-19 and Farm to ECE Survey - a Chance to Win!

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University would like to invite you to complete a brief survey to help us understand how the COVID-19 emergency has impacted your interest and capacity in providing meals (including meals with local foods), gardening opportunities, and food and nutrition education to children and families. You are receiving this email because you are an early care and education provider in one of our target states of interest. This survey will take approximately 10 minutes of your time.

Click here to complete the survey. Please complete the survey by Wednesday, November 25. By participating in this study, you will be entered in a random drawing to win one of thirty $100 Amazon gift cards. Your involvement in this survey is voluntary. Your name, site name, or any identifying information will not be in publications or reports.

Only one survey should be completed per early care and education site. The individual with the most information about food, nutrition, and nutrition education practices of the site should complete this survey. If you direct multiple sites, please forward this email to the most appropriate contact at individual sites. Even if you are not currently involved in these type of activities, we would value your feedback.

Your feedback is important. Results of this study will be used to inform future programs and policy efforts to support early care and education providers in offering meals (including meals with local foods), gardening opportunities, and food and nutrition education to young children and their families. The COVID-19 emergency has significantly impacted providers work and ability to serve young children. By better understanding the challenges providers face, we can better support providers in creating healthier environments for young children. Thank you for your time and consideration in completing this survey.

November Featured Classes

Free STARS Credit COVID-19 Class

Stay updated on COVID-19 requirements and recommendations. The class is updated regularly to reflect the most current guidance. Click here for an informational flier.

Classes are available to everyone. Learning courses can be taken at no cost. If you wish to obtain a certificate or In-Service Hours/STARS credit, cost is $10 per credit hour (unless otherwise noted).

Remember that child care providers are able to apply for reimbursement through DCYF up to $250.00 once each year. Click here for more information.

Stress Management for Child Care Providers
The class identifies stressors child care providers experience and suggests ways to manage these stressors. In this course, you will learn about the impacts of personal stress, job stress, burnout, and secondary trauma and how to combat these stressors with coping skills and self-care practices. This is a level 1 to 4 basic class.

Introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
This course is designed for child care providers and offers an overview of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how they might show up in the child care setting. Early childhood is an especially vulnerable time in the growth and development of children. Therefore, it is crucial that providers and teachers learn the impacts of ACEs on healthy growth and development, as well as impacts on long-term wellbeing stretching to adulthood. After taking this class, participants will be able to identify traumatic experiences that are considered ACEs, explain the health outcomes associated with ACEs, and describe at least three appropriate responses to observed signs or evidence of ACEs.

Registration Information

Visit the SHD Child Care Health Outreach Program Course link. At the top of the page, select the SignUp link and enter the requested information. Look for the COVID-19 Class in the Health and Illness section of the Course Catalog. Once you successfully complete the class, you will automatically be able to print a Certificate of Completion awarding you with one in-service training hour (STARS Credit) and your name will be entered into the MERIT System.

For questions contact: childcarehealth@snohd.org or 425-252-5415

Click here for instructions on how to use our online learning portal.

Click here to go to the online learning website.

Contact Information

Snohomish Health District, 3020 Rucker Ave., Ste. 104, Everett, WA 98201

Email: childcarehealth@snohd.org

Program Phone: 425.252.5415

Website: http://www.snohd.org/238/Child-Care-Providers

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The Child Care Health Outreach Program staff are available to consult with you on these and other health, safety, and nutrition topics by phone, by email, or at your child care.