PREPARE YOUR CHILD CARE FOR HEAT AND SMOKE

Forecasters are warning of greater than normal wildfire potential from July through September. Breathing wildfire smoke is not good for anyone, but children, older adults, and people with existing lung and heart conditions are more at-risk for severe health impacts during smoke events. Young children can become ill during high heat due to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management, Health Department, and Human Services continue to disseminate wildfire smoke and extreme heat preparedness and safety messages through the Snohomish County Public Safety Hub. On this site you can find information on Smoke, Heat/Cooling Centers, and Wildfires.  These hub pages are available in multiple languages and include:

• Key safety and prevention messages.
• Smoke and heat forecasting tools.
• Heat and Smoke Information Cards: Available in English, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Russian. These are great for placing at entry ways, brochure racks, or passing out by hand to families.
• Social media posts.
• Extreme Heat Flyer: Available on the Hub in multiple languages. Great for placing at entry ways or front desks.
• Air Quality flyers: Link to Smoke From Wildfires - Toolkit | Washington State Department of Health includes flyers in multiple languages. The Washington State Department of Health also has information on their website for child cares, including an air quality guide in English and Spanish.

One of the best ways to protect yourself and the children in your care during a smoke event is to stay indoors and take steps to keep your indoor air clean. Consider purchasing a portable air cleaner with HEPA filter. See choosing a portable air cleaner or Best Air Purifiers of 2023 for ideas. You can also assemble your own DIY Air Filter and Create a Clean Air Room.

If you would like more information about keeping children in your child care safe and healthy this summer, please reach out to our Child Care Health Outreach Program for a personalized consultation. You can connect with us by phone at 425.252.5415 or email shd.childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us.

Parent-Designated Adult Classes-are back!

Seattle Children’s Hospital offers a 2-part series on diabetes care and management for caregivers. A Parent-Designated Adult (PDA) is someone who has been trained to provide care for patients who need medical attention in a school or child care setting. The PDA is taught basic information and skills for diabetes management, such as:

• Basic information about type 1 diabetes
• How to use a glucometer
• How to read and interpret a continuous glucose monitor
• How to calculate insulin doses
• General information about insulin pumps
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of low/high blood sugars
• How to treat low/high blood sugars
• How to administer emergency medication in case of severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• When to contact parents

This certification includes 2 sessions and participants must complete both to become certified as a PDA.

The first part is to watch our educational Diabetes Parent Designated Adult Video Module Series on your own time. The second part is to attend an in-person skills verification session to demonstrate knowledge. Once the participant’s skills have been verified, they will receive their certificate.

Times, dates and location

The skills verification sessions are held at the Sand Point Clinic.

• Thursday, August 17, 2023, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, August 26, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

We will offer this class monthly or quarterly during the academic year based on the demand.

Registration and more information

Please email us for more information and to register for a time for the skills verification session.

COVID-19 Information

WA DOH has released an updated version of guidance for childcares (Guidance to Prevent and Respond to COVID-19 in K-12). Child cares are still required to report every case to the Snohomish County Health Department. 

All schools and child cares should establish a core set of infectious disease prevention strategies as part of everyday operations.

Please contact The Snohomish County Health Department to report cases at the Call Center (425-339-5278) or email SHD.ChildCareHealth@co.snohomish.wa.us 

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 can be picked up at our downtown Everett office or delivered to the childcare facility.

Healthy Kids coloring and activity books available

The Health Department has coloring and activity books available in English and Spanish for distribution in Snohomish County while supplies last. If you are a child care provider in the county and would like to pick up books to use in your child care or give to families, please reach out to SHD-Communications@snoco.org.

In the email, please provide the following information:

• Your name and the name and address of the child care that is requesting the books
• Quantity requested (Recommended 25-30, limit is 50 total. Pages may be copied and printed from the books to re-use in early learning activities.)
• Please specify requested quantities of English and/or Spanish 

Someone from the Communications team will respond to coordinate a time for you to pick up the coloring books at 3020 Rucker Avenue. Please do not drop in without coordinating a time when a staff member can meet you at the building to provide the books.

Thank you.