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Early Care & Education

COVID-19 Toolkit

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On March 13, new LAC DPH Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines will be in effect. The information on this page will be updated to align with the new guidelines.

Key Document Quick Links

Flu and RSV resources:

Welcome

Early care and education programs are necessary and important to communities.  They have a tremendous impact on the health, growth, and development of children and support the overall well-being of families in Los Angeles County. This COVID-19 Early Care and Education (ECE) Toolkit is designed as a resource to help center-based child care programs and family child care homes prepare for and respond to COVID-19. It contains important guidance from the Los Angeles County (LAC) Department of Public Health (DPH), templates for creating useful documents, answers to frequently asked questions in ECE settings, as well as links to selected resources from local, state, and national sources. This toolkit should help you implement strategies to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks and report COVID-19 cases if and when they occur at your child care site.

General Guidance for Childcare Providers

Reporting, Management of COVID-19 Infections and Exposures, and Notifications in ECE

Exposure Management Plan (EMP): What to Do When You Have a COVID-19 Case at Your Facility

ECE sites should have an EMP in place prior to identifying a COVID-19 positive case. Designate a person to be familiar with COVID-19 safety protocols.

Instructions for Cases and Close Contacts

Flowcharts for ECE sites that provide guidance on actions for those in isolation and those identified as close contacts. (English | Spanish)

Managing Symptoms and Exposures among Children and Staff
Requirements for Reporting Clusters at Your Facility

ECE providers are required to notify the LAC Department of Public Health (DPH) of all clusters of 3 or more cases of COVID-19 in a classroom, office, or other pre-defined or identifiable group (i.e., cohort) who were on campus at any point within the 14 days prior to illness onset date. Cases include employees, children/students, and visitors with confirmed COVID-19. The illness onset date is the date COVID-19 symptoms started, or the COVID-19 test date, whichever is earlier. All cluster notifications should be submitted to DPH within 1 business day of the school/program being notified of the third, or last, case in the cluster through the reporting method outlined below.

  • Online reporting: Clusters of 3 or more ECE-associated COVID-19 cases should be reported online through the secure web application, Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT). This can be done on a computer or mobile device.
    • If reporting multiple cases, you may choose to use the “Bulk Upload Template” (an Excel file) located within the SPOT portal to submit your report.
  • Training resources: for how to report COVID-19 clusters through SPOT:
    • This data dictionary (updated 5/1/22 - English | Español) describes each of the items of information (variables) that are collected as part of cluster reporting through SPOT.
    • Training videos and resources can be found at the SPOT School Help and Training Materials.

A cluster of 3 or more cases of COVID-19 (child or staff) in an ECE setting must also be reported to the local Community Care Licensing Division Child Care Offices.

Notifications for Staff, Students, and Families

Parents and staff must be notified of a confirmed COVID-19 case at your ECE site. This communication can be in the form of a letter. Sample notification letters are provided below with a description of their use and can be tailored to your facility's needs.

Exposure Notification Letter Templates (updated 1/27/23) English | Español

  • Isolation Notification Letter for ECE Sites: Notification letter for staff or parents of children who need to isolate due to a positive COVID-19 viral test result.
  • Exposure Notification Letter for ECE Sites: Educational sites providing activities and services for children, students, and staff are required to notify all children, students and staff who had an exposure or potential exposure to a person with COVID-19 during their infectious period while at the facility.
  • General Exposure Notification Letter for ECE Sites: Educational sites providing activities and services for children, students, and staff may choose to notify the general community of an exposure that has occurred at the site and make the community aware of precautions to take to prevent spread.
    • Additional signage (Exposure Notice) may be posted to inform the community of potential exposure at the ECE site to COVID-19.

Workplace Guidance

Information for ECE Providers and Employers

COVID-19 Prevention

Information on Ventilation, Vaccination, and More
  • Ventilation
  • Encourage COVID-19 Vaccination
    • COVID-19 vaccines are now available for children 6 months and older! COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are the best way to prevent outbreaks in the workplace and in the community.
    • To find a COVID-19 vaccine location visit LAC | DPH | COVID-19 Vaccination - How to get vaccinated (lacounty.gov)
    • More information on COVID-19 vaccines, safety, and how to get vaccinated is available at VaccinateLAcounty.com (English) and VacunateLosAngeles.com (Español) or at Frequently Asked Questions for Parents and Guardians.
    • Questions about COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness? Contact your pediatrician or clinician or speak with a LACDPH staff member by calling the COVID-19 Call Center at 1-833-540-0473 between the hours of 8am to 8:30pm, seven days a week.
    • Early care and education sites can host a vaccine clinic at their site. This COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Toolkit - for Early Childhood Partners is a how-to guide for planning and coordinating a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. It includes best practices, templates, resources, and details on how to request a mobile vaccine clinic. If you are interested in scheduling a vaccination clinic for young children and their families please complete this interest form.
    • Host a virtual town hall. As trusted community leaders, ECE partners are invited to host a virtual COVID-19 town hall in partnership with LACDPH. We will help you secure an American Academy of Pediatrics-certified pediatrician to moderate the discussion, and provide agenda, presentation, and promotional outreach material. Contact Michelle Millan at MMillan@ph.lacounty.gov for more information on scheduling a date/time for your co-hosted virtual event.
    • Subscribe to the ECE COVID-19 Newsletter. ECE Sector Telebriefings and the ECE COVID-19 Newsletter are great ways to stay in the know and be sure that you are aware of upcoming telebriefings and receive weekly ECE sector updates. To be added to the ECE listserv, email TASchoolSupport@ph.lacounty.gov.
  • Inform families and staff that anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive COVID-19 test should not enter the facility.
    • Use the LA County DPH symptoms decision pathway for actions to take after an employee or child is determined to have symptoms or exposures while at your facility.
  • Follow Current State and Local Masking Guidance
  • Reduce Risk of COVID-19
  • Traveling During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Review the LA County DPH Travel Advisory for up-to-date information during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cleaning and Disinfection
  • Cleaning and Disinfection Matrix:
    • It is important to ensure that cleaning practices in your facility are good enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This cleaning and disinfection matrix provides recommendations on the cleaning and disinfection of rooms or areas. These guidelines are for non-healthcare facilities such as daycare centers, schools, institutions, offices, businesses, and community centers that do not house persons overnight.
    • Please refer to the Guidance for ECE for additional information on cleaning and disinfection standards for child care settings.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Resources
  • Local Resource and Referral Agencies (R&Rs)
COVID-19 Testing Guidance

Frequently Asked Questions

LA County DPH COVID-19 Information
  • COVID-19 FAQs
    • These frequently asked questions provide general background information about COVID-19 including how to identify symptoms, get tested and prevent the spread of the virus.
  • COVID-19 Information

Additional Resources

LA County Department of Mental Health - Resources for Managing stress
  • Emotional Wellbeing During a Pandemic
    • The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) supports the wellbeing of every member of our communities. The COVID-19 information home provides mental health resources for LA County residents. LACDMH's 24/7 Help Line at (800) 854-7771 is available to provide mental health support, resources and referrals.
  • Free iPrevail Access
    • LA County residents have free access to iPrevail.com, an online mental health resource to help with life's everyday stressors. After a short assessment, you are connected to customized support to meet your needs. Options include:
      • on-demand chat with trained Peer Coaches,
      • self-paced lessons on a variety of topics to improve wellbeing, and
      • community support groups
    • iPrevail is offered in English and Spanish and is available 24/7 from any smart device.

  • Free Mental Health Resources
    • LACDMH is also a part of PsychHub's COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub, which is dedicated to providing free resources to help people address their mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Department of Developmental Services (DDS) COVID-19 Information
CDC Guidance
  • Schools and Childcare Guidance Website
    • The CDC website for Schools and Child Care Programs provides information to plan, prepare, and respond to COVID-19. This webpage has education and childcare related guidance for parents, administrators, teachers and staff.

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Public Health has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translation. However, no computerized translation is perfect and is not intended to replace traditional translation methods. If questions arise concerning the accuracy of the information, please refer to the English edition of the website, which is the official version.

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