Click here to Visit Our Website February 2022

COVID-19 Updates

The pandemic situation changes frequently. We encourage you to stay up to date by visiting our website. For information on the current COVID-19 situation in Snohomish County, please see the following links:

Local case-counts - www.snohd.org/casecounts
COVID-19 testing locations and information on obtaining at-home tests - www.snohd.org/testing
Vaccine information and locations for initial and booster doses - w ww.snohd.org/covidvaccine

The Washington State Department of Health guidance for child care facilities is expected to be updated soon. You can check for the latest updates here:
Child Care, Youth Development and Day Camps during COVID-19 (wa.gov)

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Masks, Language Development, and COVID-19

Daily activities with your child provide many opportunities for the growth and development of healthy language skills. Some examples include:

reading books together
imaginative play
peek-a-boo and tummy time
talking and singing

While masking up is a requirement in many public settings, taking advantage of moments at home to mirror your child's expressions and vocalizations can have a profound impact on the development of their language. The following article from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) highlights some great ways to boost communication at home with your little one:

https://healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Do-face-masks-interfere-with-language-development.aspx

ABCs for Healthy Kids

Keeping children healthy and safe is important for families, child care providers, and the general community. When we promote good health for children, we help keep child cares operating, children in school, and parents being able to work. We encourage child care providers to take this information from Snohomish Health District and share it with your parents. You can include these mini-articles in your newsletters or print out activity pages to do with children and send them home.

You can learn more or get fun activities for children at
www.snohd.org/healthykids.

A is for Annual Well-Child Visits

Well-child visits or check-ups are regular appointments with a child’s healthcare provider to stay up to date on their health, including their physical, social, and emotional development. These visits are an opportunity to ask questions, stay current with vaccinations and medications, and address any potential health concerns early. Well-child visits are typically covered by insurance, including Washington Apple Health (Medicaid). If your child does not currently have insurance, you can learn more and sign up online.

Regular well-child visits help create healthy habits, identify and address concerns early, and build knowledge and trust for future needs.
Insurance, including Apple Health (Medicaid), covers well-child visits, and resources are available so cost is not a barrier.
Ideally, children and families should have a medical home – this is a medical provider they regularly see who knows them and their healthcare needs.

For more information, please visit our blog post - A is for Annual Well-Child Visits.

B is for Brush and Floss Daily

Dental health is a key piece of overall wellness. A healthy mouth and teeth help prevent other health problems, too. Childhood is a crucial time for building good habits like brushing and flossing every day. Even babies need dental care – babies should have their first dental appointment by the time they are 1 year old, or when they get their first teeth. Learn more and find resources on our Dental Health page.

Baby teeth matter. Dental health affects overall health and child development, so it’s important to start good habits even before the first teeth break through.
Healthy habits can prevent dental disease. These include brushing and flossing daily, avoiding sugary food and drinks, and going in for routine dental appointments.
Cost should not be a barrier to children’s dental care. The Health District maintains a list of dental providers who accept Apple Health (Medicaid) or offer services for uninsured children.

For more information, please visit our blog post - http://www.snohd.org/Blog.aspx?IID=55#item

Coping with Burnout, Thanks to COVID-19

Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Is every day a bad day? Does caring for your home or work life seem like a total waste of time? We are going to explore burnout - signs and symptoms, as well as ways to cope when you are feeling down.

While everybody is different, the following signs may indicate that you are experiencing burnout:

Sense of self-doubt or failure
Loss of motivation
Lowered immunity, frequent illness
Isolating self from others

Providing childcare during a pandemic may feel like you can’t do anything that makes a difference or is appreciated. Every childcare provider has a slightly different work situation, but here are some helpful ideas for coping with burnout:

Keep track of stressors in a journal so that you can recognize patterns
Use compassion vs empathy with children, parents and colleagues. Whereas with empathy we resonate with the suffering of others, compassion entails a sense of tenderness and care that embraces the suffering of others rather than struggling with it
Set and adhere to boundaries
Ask for help and accept support

Burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic or any time is a huge problem for childcare providers and other workers. While burnout can seem so consuming and overwhelming, we know that there is always hope. It can be hard to find that little grain of hope within yourself when you are feeling so many unpleasant symptoms of burnout, but if you can be brave and do that, you will inspire yourself and others.

For additional information or support, please feel free to call 425-252-5415

For after hours (800) 584-3578

Updated Communicable Disease Information Sheets Coming Soon

At the start of the pandemic, the incidence of reportable and non-reportable illnesses in childcare went down, as many families were staying home. As our lives start to look more normal, common childhood illnesses are on the rise once again. For more information on many common non-reportable childhood illnesses, please see the Child Care Health Outreach Program’s website at: Disease Fact Sheets for Child Care Providers | Snohomish Health District, WA (snohd.org) These forms will all be updated in the near future. For information on reportable communicable diseases, please see Snohomish Health District's website at: Disease Fact Sheets | Snohomish Health District, WA (snohd.org)

Vroom - 5 Brain Building Basics

Vroom helps families and child care providers use the science of early learning to help children thrive. There are 5 actions that can help grow a child's brain power. They are:

Vroom - Bases para el desarrollo
del cerebro

Vroom ayuda a las familias y a los proveedores de cuidado infantil a utilizar la ciencia del aprendizaje temprano para ayudar a los niños a prosperar. Hay 5 acciones que pueden ayudar a aumentar el poder cerebral de un niño. Son los siguientes:

Vroom Tips can be found at Vroom Tips se puede encontrar en
www.vroom.org. www.vroom.org/es

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

Image of people using online learning portal.

Click here to go to the online learning website.

This Month's Featured Classes

Injury Prevention - Toy Safety

In addition to providing children with fun and enjoyment, toys help children develop skills, test their abilities, engage their imagination, and learn so much. Toys can let children create on their own or practice working together with others. Unfortunately, many children are injured every day from toys that are supposed to be fun. This course will focus on preventing injuries from toys in child care settings. It will cover child development and toys, toy safety, storage of toys, cleaning toys, tracking injuries, and recalled toys. Click here to register.

Building Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccination

Learn how to protect yourself, your family and community from the COVID-19 virus and its variants through this online training. The course covers information on vaccine hesitancy and building vaccine confidence Subject matter experts in the field provide answers to frequently asked questions. Together we can build community immunity and get back to living a safe and healthy life. This course is being offered free of charge to child care providers in Washington State and offers 1.0 in-service (STARS) credit. Click here to register.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH:
Fomento de la confianza en la vacunación COVID-19

Aprenda cómo protegerse a sí mismo, a su familia y a la comunidad del virus COVID-19 a través de la capacitación en línea; Fomento de la confianza en la vacuna COVID-19. El curso cubre información sobre las dudas sobre las vacunas y el fomento de la confianza en las vacunas. Los expertos en la materia en el campo brindan respuestas a las preguntas más frecuentes. Juntos podemos construir la inmunidad comunitaria y volver a vivir una vida segura y saludable. Este curso se ofrece de forma gratuita a los proveedores de cuidado infantil en el estado de Washington y ofrece 1.0 crédito en servicio (STARS). Pulse aquí para registrarse.

Brain Building Moments with Vroom

Take this course to learn all about Vroom, a science-based program that early learning providers can use to promote brain development among children in their care. Brain building with children during their first 5 years gives them a strong base for lifelong learning. Vroom celebrates the powerful motivation that unites caregivers -- a sense of pride and resourcefulness to provide the best start in life for children -- while being flexible and adaptable to meet the unique needs of diverse groups and communities. And Vroom is achievable within the reality of caregivers' busy lives and doesn't require extra time or money. Learn how to access and use this wonderful free resource. This course is free and provides 1 in-service (STARS) credit. Click here to register.

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.