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Early Care & Education

COVID-19 Toolkit

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IMPORTANT UPDATE: the reporting method for COVID-19 cases at your school, facility, or program has changed from REDCap to SPOT (Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracing) which can be accessed at: https://spot.cdph.ca.gov/s/?language=en_US. Also see below for further details.

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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
  • The Los Angeles County Exposure Management Plan (EMP) for Early Care and Education (updated 8/15/22 - English | Español) details the required action steps to take after you have identified one or more COVID-19 positive cases in your facility. Immediate implementation of an exposure management plan after identifying a single case of COVID-19 can help speed up the ability to contain spread of COVID-19 and prevent that single case from becoming an outbreak.

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.

Quarantine and Isolation Flowcharts for Children and Staff

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

Decision Pathways for Symptoms and Exposures
Decision Pathways for Symptoms and Exposures in ECE Centers and TK-12 Schools (updated 8/15/22):
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Requirements for Reporting Cases and Contacts at Your Facility

Any case of COVID-19 (child or staff) in an ECE setting must be reported to the local Community Care Licensing Division Child Care Offices.

ECE providers are also required to notify the LAC Department of Public Health (DPH) of individuals (staff or children) with confirmed COVID-19 at the site.

To complete this reporting requirement, the provider must use one of the reporting methods described below to provide information on children, staff, or visitors with confirmed COVID-19 who were on site at any point within the 14 days prior to their illness onset date. The illness onset date is the date COVID-19 symptoms started, or the COVID-19 test date, whichever is earlier. All case notifications should be submitted to DPH within 1 business day of the site being notified of the case. ECE providers can report cases to DPH using one of the following methods:

  • Online reporting: All ECE-associated COVID-19 cases should be reported online through the secure web application, Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracing (SPOT). This can be done on a computer or mobile device by accessing SPOT.
    • Update: The SPOT Portal was updated on July 20, 2022 with enhancements designed to streamline the COVID-19 case reporting process and allow for more flexibility for SPOT liaisons. Specific details regarding these enhancements to SPOT are listed on this one-page summary and highlighted in this SPOT 2.0 Demo Video.
    • This online reporting training video (under revision) walks you through the process of submitting an online report for COVID-19 cases and contacts at your Institution.
    • A recording of the introductory session for school/ECE liaisons is available here. The accompanying slides are located here.
    • This FAQ (updated 4/26/22 - English | Español) provides answers to commonly asked questions as well as additional links to training materials and resources.
  • Reporting Multiple Cases: If ECE providers are reporting multiple cases, there is an option available to submit reports using Excel through the “Bulk Upload Template” located within the SPOT Portal.
    • This training video (under revision) walks you through the process of filling out and submitting the Excel COVID-19 Case and Contact Line List for reporting to DPH via the SPOT portal.
    • This data dictionary (updated 5/1/22 - English | Español) describes each of the items of information (variables) that are collected as part of case reporting when using the Excel line list.
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 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
  • Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS)
    • ECE providers may have questions or concerns about protecting employees from COVID-19 at their site(s). The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards better known as Cal/OSHA ETS, offers COVID-19 guidance to employers. For more information, visit www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/.
  • LAC DPH Workplace Response and Best Practices for Businesses and Employers
  • Worker's Rights and Benefits Related to COVID-19

COVID-19 Prevention

Information on Ventilation, Vaccination, Screening, 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.
    • Become an ECE Provider Public Health Ambassador. Sign up for a public health physician-led training program to gain the skills, tools, and resources necessary to share timely and accurate COVID-19 information with families in your program. Trained providers earn a $25 e-gift stipend for participating and are exclusively invited to join ongoing virtual discussions, learning opportunities, and resources with public health physicians.
    • 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.
  • Screen for Symptoms of COVID-19
  • 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
  • Safely Making California
    • Purchase non-medical grade PPE supplies safely through the Safely Making California program at www.safelymakingca.org.
    • The State of California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) partnered with the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA), and Autodesk to support the community and provide important and necessary access to PPE supplies (face masks, sanitizers, and other supplies) for all business sectors in California.
  • Local Resource and Referral Agencies (R&Rs)
COVID-19 Testing Guidance
  • Cal/OSHA ETS COVID-19 Prevention Testing Requirements

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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