Protecting Against COVID-19 and Other Infections in Early Care and Education Programs

Key points

  • As an early care and education (ECE) provider, you can slow the spread of infections, such as influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or COVID-19
  • Protect children, families, and staff and support healthy learning environments.
Teacher and young students wearing masks while they sit at a table together.

Everyday actions to prevent infections

CDC recommends ECE programs have everyday strategies to prevent the spread of infections as part of your normal operations, such as promoting vaccination, staying home when sick, optimizing ventilation, washing hands frequently, and following all rules on regular and consistent cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting.

Recommendations

Before drop-off: Encourage families to monitor children at home for signs of infectious illness, including COVID-19. Children and staff who have symptoms of infectious illness, such as flu, RSV, or COVID-19, should stay home and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care.

Illustration of a mother bending over to talk to her daughter
Monitor children at home for signs of infectious illness, including COVID-19.

Educate families: Educate families about when to keep their child home, such as when the child is sick.

Illustration of parents with a sick child
When a child is sick, keep the child at home.

Vaccination: Staying up to date on routine vaccinations is essential to prevent illness from many different infections. Encourage staff, children, and families to get vaccinated as soon as they can.

A family getting vaccinated
Stay up to date on routine vaccinations.

Cleaning and disinfecting: Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces such as toys, door handles, tables, faucets, and drinking fountains regularly. Disinfect when someone is sick. Carefully follow rules for cleaning and disinfecting when diapering and feeding infants.

Illustration of a person cleaning and disinfecting items
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Ventilation systems: Optimize ventilation systems by repairing, upgrading, and replacing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Consider purchasing MERV-13 air filters and portable air cleaners.

Illustration of ventilation systems
Windows open to ventilate the room.

Personal belongings: Keep each child's belongings, including masks and toothbrushes, separated.

Illustration of a person separating their belongings
Keep each child's personal belongings, separated.

Hand hygiene: Wash hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Thoroughly dry hands after washing. Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

Illustration of a woman washing her hands in a public bathroom.
Wash hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Isolate a sick child: Plan to have an isolation room or an area you can use to isolate a sick child or staff member. Make sure isolated children still have adult supervision.

Illustration of a mother and daughter. Daughter is being isolated because she is sick.
Isolate a sick child, and make sure they still have adult supervision.

Resources

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Content Source:
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities