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Dear Child Care Partners,
May 10th is Provider Appreciation Day! We, the Child Care Health Program, would like to express our gratitude for the loving care you provide to children and the peace of mind you give families. We know the work you do is important and can be hard, and we appreciate how you show up for children and families in our community every day. Thank you for all you do!
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This month’s email from the Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) Child Care Health Program (CCHP) includes the following topics:
CCHP Care Plan Updates with New Checklists
Measles Immunization & Documentation Requirements
New CCHP Nutrition Videos Available!
Human Milk Survey
Snohomish County’s Lactation Feeding Friendly Child Care Course
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Health & Safety Information |
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CCHP Care Plan Updates with New Checklists
Our care plan documents have been updated as of March 2024! In addition, our care plan documents webpage has a new look and is now organized as step-by-step instructions. We hope these updates clarify the requirements for child care and early learning program staff, families, and healthcare providers and ease the process of getting care plans completed.
Document and website updates:
- We have organized all the information required by WAC into new care plan packets.
- Care plan packets are available for Allergy, Asthma, Diabetes, Food Intolerance, and Seizures. Children with any other health condition or behavioral health need should use the Individual Care Plan.
- Each packet now contains explanations and instructions for program staff, healthcare providers, and the child’s parent or guardian.
- Pages are now labeled with instructions for who needs to complete each page.
- We’ve created new care plan checklists to help identify missing items and ensure the care plan is complete. Whether you are reviewing a CCHP care plan packet or a care plan provided by a healthcare provider, all items in the new checklists are required for a care plan to be compliant with early learning WAC.
- The new care plan documents webpage provides instructions on how to use the new care plan packets and checklists. These instructions can be translated into over 100 different languages using the translation tool at the top of all King County’s webpages. Select a language by clicking the word “English” on the top right hand corner of the webpage:
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(All care plan packets and checklists will remain in English, even if you use the translation feature on the webpage.)
For authorization forms for other items, such as medications that are not part of a care plan, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, diaper cream, sunscreen, and toothpaste, please visit our care plans and authorization forms webpage.
We strongly recommend printing directly from our webpage any time you need a document, rather than using past versions that you’ve saved, to ensure you have the current version.
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Measles Immunization & Documentation Requirements
You may have heard about the recent cases of measles in the U.S., including in Washington State. Childhood vaccination rates declined during the COVID-19 pandemic leaving children at risk of serious but preventable illnesses, like measles. This also leaves child cares vulnerable to outbreaks that could disrupt learning.
About Measles
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases. It is so contagious that when one person in a room has it, up to 9 out of 10 unvaccinated people will become infected. Measles is a virus that spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. When another person breathes the air or touches contaminated objects, they can catch measles. Measles can also live in the air for up to two hours. This means it’s possible to catch measles from an infected person without having been in the same place at the same time. Measles can cause severe health complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and death, especially in unvaccinated people.
Now is the time to check Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) documentation and immunization records for staff, children, and volunteers. See the lists below to find out what’s required.
Staff and Volunteer Requirements
To work or volunteer in any licensed child care center, staff and volunteers must provide one of the following:
- An immunization record showing they have received at least one dose of MMR vaccine.
- A laboratory test (called a titer) showing proof of immunity to measles, either from a past infection or from vaccination.
- Documentation from a health care provider that the person has had measles disease.
- A document signed by a licensed health care practitioner stating that the MMR vaccine is, in the practitioner's judgment, not advisable for the person.
- A letter from the person stating that they have received the MMR vaccine, or have immunity to measles, but need more time to provide documentation.
Staff or volunteers in licensed child care centers are not allowed to have a personal, philosophical, or religious exemption for MMR. The above requirements do not apply to staff and volunteers in licensed family home child cares.
Child Requirements
Before a child can attend a child care or early learning program, families must provide one of the following for children 12 months and older:
- Proof of their child’s MMR vaccination(s) on a Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) form.
- A laboratory test (called a titer) showing proof of immunity to measles, either from a past infection or from vaccination.
- A signed Certificate of Exemption (COE) for medical, religious, or religious membership. Medical and religious exemptions require a healthcare provider signature. Children are not allowed to have a personal or philosophical exemption for the MMR vaccine, per WAC.
If a child is experiencing homelessness or is in foster care and does not have any immunization status documentation, they must be allowed to enroll, attend, and fully participate in the program.
Additional Resources
A comic strip: “How Contagious is Measles?” Available in multiple languages.
For more information on where children and adults can get the MMR vaccine:
• visit kingcounty.gov/measles/vaccine or
• contact the Community Health Access Program (CHAP) at kingcounty.gov/chap or 800-756-5437.
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New CCHP Nutrition Videos Available!
Check out two new videos on our Nutrition & food safety webpage: Healthy Snacks for Preschoolers and Young Children and Bottle Feeding Tips in Child Care Settings (both are available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese).
These video tutorials by our very own registered dietitian, Viviana Penaranda, offer suggestions on how to follow WAC requirements and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFC) nutrition guidelines at both centers and family home child cares. These videos can be shared with families to support babies and children and promote healthy child development.
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Information to Share with Families
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Human Milk Survey
The US Breastfeeding Committee is working to better understand the barriers and supports that affect breast/chest feeding duration, including those in child care settings. The Committee is collecting personal stories around breast/chest feeding support or human milk feeding in early learning and child care settings. Please participate in this survey and share this link with families: https://www.votervoice.net/USBC/Surveys/7763/Respond.
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Continuing Education & Training Opportunities |
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Snohomish County’s Lactation Feeding Friendly Child Care Course
Snohomish County Health Department has created a course for child care providers to promote inclusivity and support for parents who wish to continue breast/chest feeding and help create a comfortable and accommodating environment for breast/chest feeding parents and bottle-feeding infants
To register for this course, visit: https://childcare-snohd.talentlms.com/catalog/info/id:262,cms_featured_course:1. Providers who take this free virtual class will receive 2 STARS credits.
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Same content, new look! You may have noticed the new design and format of this email. We have changed the format to a newsletter, and there are now features to share, subscribe, and unsubscribe below. We hope it is easier to read and find the information of greatest interest to you.
In Health,
The Child Care Health Program
kingcounty.gov/childcare
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