Click here to visit our website April 2023

Seeking Child Cares for Lactation-Friendly Pilot Program

We are searching for child care facilities that are eager to pre-pilot a comprehensive toolkit designed to promote and develop the fundamental building blocks for a lactation and feeding-friendly child care environment. The aim of this project is to encourage and enable child care facilities to provide a supportive and welcoming environment that promotes and supports lactation for families and staff.

By participating in this pre-pilot program, child care facilities will be provided with a toolkit that includes detailed guidance on how to foster and maintain a lactation and feeding-friendly environment. The toolkit covers various aspects of lactation and infant feeding, including best practices for infant nutrition and feeding, milk storage and handling, and creating a comfortable and nurturing environment for families and staff to nurse or pump.

Once a child care facility has completed the toolkit and implemented the necessary steps, they will receive a coveted Lactation Feeding-Friendly Environment (LFE) designation. This designation indicates that the child care facility is committed to promoting and supporting lactation and providing a supportive environment for both families and staff. Overall, this pre-pilot program is an excellent opportunity for child care facilities to improve their services and demonstrate their dedication to providing the best possible care for infants and families.

Please feel free to email christin.seo@co.wa.snohomish.us or call 425-583-1618 if interested.

Mouthed Toys in Child Care

Mouthing objects is an important part of feeding and speech development for children under 1-year-old. This is how children develop oral-sensory awareness in their mouths, as they explore their environment. When toys and other objects have been mouthed in the classroom, they must be removed until they can be cleaned and sanitized. More information can be found here WAC 110-300-0241: Cleaning Schedules.

Having a designated container for mouthed toys is a great way to be sure you are keeping the children in your care safe and healthy. Keep a clearly labeled bucket, bin, basket, or plastic container easily accessible and out of reach of children. When a toy or other object has been mouthed, put it in the designated container until it can be cleaned and sanitized.

Cleaning and sanitizing the mouthed toys can be implemented as part of the end-of-day routine. If time does not allow you to do this chore daily, other toys can be rotated into the classroom throughout the week as mouthed toys are removed.

For smaller items, such as dishes and many toys, a dishwasher can do the cleaning and sanitizing jobs for you. The dishwashing liquid will do the cleaning. Make sure the dishwasher has a “sani-cycle” or is set to heat dry. The heat will kill the remaining germs on the washed items.

For more information on cleaning and sanitizing in your child care, contact us via email at shd.childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us, or via phone at 425-252-5415.

Free Water Testing Program for Lead and Copper: Request for volunteers

If you are a licensed child care in Snohomish County and need your required test for lead and copper, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) would like your help to test out their free water sampling and testing program, which is funded through the EPA WIIN grant. Your drinking and cooking water will be tested at no cost and you will be given the opportunity to provide feedback to DOH on their sampling and testing process with the goal of making the system easy for other child care providers to use.

If you are interested in helping out and having your drinking and cooking water tested for free, please email or call ashley.davies@doh.wa.gov or 564-669-1098. Of those expressing interest, up to five will be chosen to participate in round one of the testing and will receive a $20 gift card to Target for their feedback. You will be informed as to whether you were chosen by May 1.

Childhood Immunization Campaign

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is launching the Childhood Immunization Campaign to encourage families to catch up on childhood vaccination. The campaign started March 15, 2023, and will include digital and radio advertising. In May, DOH will be mailing letters to families with children ages five to six that are behind on vaccinations. They are placing an emphasis on scheduling childhood wellness visits and vaccinations.

As part of this campaign, DOH has created a toolkit page to support health care providers, school and child care staff, and local health jurisdictions.

The toolkit page for the campaign has materials in English and Spanish, and includes:

Posters encouraging vaccination & wellness visits
A sample parent letter encouraging immunizations
A backpack stuffer for families
A variety of social media graphics with and without text
Sample newsletter articles
Immunization resources
Campaign talking points

DOH knows health care providers are continuing to see high demand for appointments, and they appreciate your efforts in supporting childhood vaccination as we move into spring.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send an email to DOH-PIO@doh.wa.gov.

Free Car Seat Safety Check Event + Free Car Seats for Families in Need

Safe Kids and Marysville Toyota are partnering to provide free car seats and car seat checks on Friday, April 21, from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Families can register by completing this online form.

Please also share this flyer with your communication pathways.

Event Details:

Convertible and boosters available while supplies last.
Child must be present (if born) to receive a free car seat.
Preregistration is required.

2023 INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE – VIRTUAL

May 1-5, 2023

IECC Conference Registration is now open and registration this year is complimentary. For more information about this conference, visit the conference website. A full list of conference sessions can be found in the online conference program.

Register Here.

Updated Labor and Industries (L&I) COVID-19 Requirements for Employers

L&I posted in December 2022 new COVID-19 requirements for employers, which include child care and early learning programs.

In a nutshell: Employers need to have a plan in place to protect employees from COVID-19 in the workplace.

Anyone who has COVID-19 should stay home for a minimum of 5 days following a positive test or start of symptoms.
A 10-day isolation period remains the safest since people can be contagious for more than 5 days.
Individuals who return on days 6-10 are required to wear a mask if they are able to do so.
If the individual returning on days 6-10 cannot wear a mask, then anyone around that individual will need to mask during days 6-10 if they are able to do so.

Contact the L&I DOSH Consultation Program for tailored assistance with preventing COVID-19 transmission in your workplace. For more details visit: What Employers Need to Do When An Employee Gets COVID

COVID-19 Information

The federal Public Health Emergency will end soon (May 11th) but that will not change how childcares should respond to Covid-19 cases. All cases are required to be reported to the Health Department. Covid-19 has been permanently added to the DOH’s list of Notifiable Conditions (see WAC 246-101-101). Per WAC 246-101-415, it is a childcare facility’s duty to “notify the local health jurisdiction of cases, outbreaks, and suspected outbreaks of notifiable conditions….that may be associated with the child care facility.”

Access to free testing resources (noted below) are likely to change after the end of the federal Public Health Emergency. Please encourage families to take advantage of access to free at-home tests now prior to May 11.

Our current community level is low. Continue to monitor community levels on our website here.

A few other COVID reminders:

The DOH’s decision flowchart for “What to do if you have COVID-19 symptoms” and “What to do if you have been exposed to COVID-19” was updated in February and is meant for the general public including schools and child care.
When exiting isolation, a well-fitting mask should be worn through the end of day 10 as a person may still be infectious. If a person is unable to wear a well-fitting mask, they should continue to isolate through the end of day 10.
Families are strongly encouraged to vaccinate their children who are eligible, in consultation with their health care provider. COVID-19 vaccination and boosters are available to children 6 months and older.
We can still order additional COVID-19 test kits for child care facilities to distribute to families. See our health alert below for more information.
Families can continue to order COVID tests by visiting www.sayyescovidhometest.org/. This program is gradually ending based on ZIP Code and will end statewide by May 11.
The Washington State Department of Health is now allowing the use of home antigen tests for children under 2 years of age after being exposed, while in isolation, and if a child is experiencing symptoms.
The use of home antigen tests in children under 2 years of age is not allowed for ending isolation prior to the end of day 10.
Home tests are also available from www.covid.gov/tests and, for families who have insurance, please encourage them to use their benefit of free at-home tests (which they can get at the pharmacy they typically use). Each person covered under the insurance plan can receive 8 free tests per month.

To report all COVID-19 cases, or if you have any other questions about COVID-19, please call 425-339-5278 and leave a message, or email SHD.ChildCareHealth@co.snohomish.wa.us. A staff person from the Child Care COVID-19 Response Team will get back to you.

COVID-19 Individual Plan

Talk with your healthcare provider about whether you are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. People who are more likely to get very sick include older adults (age 50 years or older, with risk increasing with age), people who are unvaccinated, and people with certain medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system.

Build your personal plan now by downloading the COVID-19 Personal Plan, available in English and Spanish.

Edit and save your plan, and share it with your family, friends, and healthcare provider.

State masking requirements in healthcare, long-term care, and correctional facilities ending April 3

Effective April 3, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will end the Secretary of Health Mask Order, which currently requires universal masking in healthcare, long-term care, and adult correctional facilities for people age 5 and older. Individual healthcare facilities may choose to still require masks after April 3.

In Washington, COVID-19, RSV, and influenza disease rates and hospitalizations have continued to decline since the end of last year.

DOH infection prevention and control guidance continues to recommend masks for patients, healthcare providers, and visitors in healthcare settings. Licensed healthcare facilities are required to have infection prevention policies and programs consistent with CDC guidance.

For more info, follow the links below:

Masking requirements in healthcare, long-term care, and correctional facilities to end April 3 | Washington State Department of Health

Regional healthcare facilities across the Puget Sound region have issued a statement to continue universal masking in certain settings, so be prepared to mask in healthcare facilities locally.

No-Cost COVID-19 Test Kits for
Child Care Facilities

Child care facilities that are in need of rapid antigen tests (home tests) can now contact the Snohomish County Health Department to make a request for those tests. Tests are provided at no charge to child care facilities through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) program funding.

You must call the COVID-19 Call Center (425-339-5278) or email SHD.ChildCareHealth@co.snohomish.wa.us to request your kits and discuss the pick-up process.

Tests are NOT available on a drop-in basis. Test kits will need to be picked up in Everett when ready.

Free COVID-19 test kits (home antigen), delivered directly to households, are still available through The Washington State Department of Health (DOH). Please remind your families/staff to order from https://www.sayyescovidhometest.org/. Each household can submit an order each calendar month.

In July, the FDA granted another extension to the expiration dates for the iHealth tests. Click here for the list of the lot numbers and the updated expiration dates or use this online tool to input the lot number to calculate the updated expiration date.

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 Class

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. Learners can engage with the material in either audio/visual or written formats.

Register Here

Preventing Diseases from Animals in Child Care

Animal related experiences in the child care setting can mean additional health and safety concerns to consider. In this self-paced correspondence class you will learn about the best practice recommendations for keeping a class pet, for participating in animal related field trips and for having animal guests. Special focus will be on how to minimize illness, injury, and allergy risks.