|
|
May 9th is Child Care Appreciation Day and marks the end of Teacher Appreciation Week. The Child Care Health Program is excited to honor and express our thanks to all child care and early learning providers and educators for the hard work you do every day!
Dear Child Care Partners,
This month’s email from the Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) Child Care Health Program (CCHP) includes the following topics:
Health & Safety Information for Child Care Providers
Information to Share with Staff & Families
Continuing Education & Financial Opportunities
|
|
Health & Safety Information for Child Care Providers |
|
NEW Bleach Alternatives Information Sheet |
|
For those who have been asking us about bleach alternatives and safer cleaning products, the CCHP has created a new resource: 5 Steps to Take if You Don't Want to Use Bleach, available in Amharic, Arabic, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. It covers WAC requirements, how to use re-usable cloths, and what to look for when choosing safer cleaning products, including sanitizing and disinfecting wipes. |
|
 |
|
|
NEW Handwashing Poster
 |
|
Our new handwashing poster, When Do We Wash Our Hands?, focuses on all the times children should wash their hands in your program. It is on our Illness Prevention Resources webpage, and is available in multiple languages. It can be used as a visual reminder, a teaching tool, or as a classroom activity with children.
|
|
|
Information to Share with Staff & Families |
|
Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy Waitlist is Now Open!
Join the Best Starts Child Care Subsidy waitlist for the chance to be selected for the child care subsidy in the fall. Only families who’ve completed the waitlist form will be entered into a lottery to fill out the full application and, if eligible, enroll in the program to receive a child care subsidy.
Key Information for Families:
- Joining the waitlist takes just 5 minutes through the simple online form.
- Later in 2025, families will be randomly selected from the waitlist to complete full applications.
- Selected and eligible families will receive subsidies to help cover child care costs.
- Important: Families must join the waitlist to be considered for selection.
Resources
|
|
Continuing Education & Financial Opportunities |
|
Early Childhood Equity Grant, Deadline May 27
DCYF’s Early Childhood Equity Grant application is now available. This grant is intended to ensure children have access to diverse care that meets their needs.
Eligibility is open to:
- Licensed, certified, or certified for payment only child care providers with an open license in good standing.
- License-exempt Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers serving children receiving state subsidies.
- Licensed ECEAP/Early ECEAP sites
- ECEAP/Early ECEAP contractors
Funding amounts vary by provider type and can be used for hiring specialized staff, trainings for staff, program materials, evaluation, child assessment, developmental screening, and other costs for increasing inclusive practices in your program.
Technical assistance is available to all providers through The Imagine Institute. If needed, please contact them at 206-492-5249 or TA@imaginewa.org. For more information, including frequently asked questions, please visit the DCYF Early Childhood Equity Grant webpage or contact dcyf.childcaregrants@dcyf.wa.gov.
|
|
|
|
