Child Care & Camps

Resources from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH)

• (UPDATED) COVID-19 Interim Guidance for Child Care Facility Collaboration with the Local Health Department (6/15/21)
• Contact Tracing as a Partnership Involving VDH, the Child and Parents/Guardians, and Schools/Child Care Programs (11/17/20)
• VDH Considerations for Recreational Sports
• Template Letters for COVID-19 Cases in the Center
  • Template Letter -  Positive case with exposure in school (5/21/21)
  • Template Letter - Positive case with no exposure in school (5/21/21)
  • Template Letter - Close contact of a possible case in daycare (6/3/21)
  • Template Letter - Close contact of a potential case in daycare (6/3/21)
  • Template Letter - Positive case in daycare (6/3/21)

Resources from the Department of Social Services (DSS)

• Department of Social Services (DSS) Webpage for Childcare

Resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• CDC Guidance for Operating Child Care Programs During COVID-19 (5/7/21)
• CDC Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools Through Phased Prevention (5/15/21)
• CDC School and Child Care Settings (4/27/21)

Learn how to talk with children about coronavirus disease 2019:  

It is important to have open and honest conversations with children about the role they play in stopping the spread of COVID-19.  Learn more about how to talk to children about COVID-19 here.

Children and mask use: 

Under Executive Order 79, students and visitors two years old or older must wear masks while indoors at a private or public K-12 school, even if they have been fully vaccinated. People who have been fully vaccinated may remove their masks while outside, while people who have not been fully vaccinated should keep their masks on unless they can continually stay six feet away from others. CDC and VDH also recommend children two years old and up wear masks while at daycare.

Considerations for decisions regarding school attendance:

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is important that children who have COVID-19 or might have it do not come to school or daycare sick.  VHD has guidelines for when to keep your child home from school or other child care settings.

For information about participation in recreational sports, visit VDH Considerations for Recreational Sports.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)

While children do not appear to be at higher risk for COVID-19 than adults, VDH, CDC and other public health staff are investigating Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) linked to COVID-19.  MIS-C may cause problems with a child’s heart and other systems in the body.  Signs and symptoms of MIS-C include fever, belly or gut pain, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, rash, red or cracked lips, red or bumpy tongue, or swollen hands and feet.

If your child has any of these signs or other symptoms of COVID-19, contact your pediatrician.  If your child is showing any emergency warning signs including trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest that won’t go away, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, bluish lips or face, severe belly pain, or other concerning signs, seek emergency care right away.

Vaccination

Children 12 years and older are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and availability will be expanded to younger children.  You can protect your child from contracting COVID-19 and possible complications like MIS-C by getting them vaccinated.  Vaccination also protects others who might be more vulnerable to COVID-19, like grandparents, by reducing a child’s chances of transmitting the disease.  For more information on how to get vaccinated, visit Vaccinate.Virginia.gov or call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA.

VDH Resources:

• VDH Guideline: When Should a Child Stay Home from School and/or Child Care?
  • English (6/1/21 - translations pending)
• VDH Guideline: When Should a Child Stay Home from School and/or Child Care? Infographics Only
  • English (6/1/21 - translations pending)
• VDH Algorithm for Evaluating a Child with COVID-19 Symptoms or Exposures
  • 1-pager: English, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Spanish (4/26/21 - translations posted 6/4/21)

The COVID-19 Final Permanent Standard adopted by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) outlines the responsibilities for businesses in preventing and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

COVID-19 case reports must be filed through the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) online reporting portal.  This portal ensures case reports will meet VDH and DOLI reporting compliance. Up to 10 COVID-19 positive cases may be entered in the portal at once.

After the initial report of outbreak (two or more cases), employers shall continue to report all cases to VDH until the local health department notifies the business that the outbreak has been closed.

After the outbreak is closed, subsequent identification of two or more cases of COVID-19 during a declared emergency shall be reported, as above.

General questions can be addressed to respiratory@vdh.virginia.gov

Cleaning

• Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility (CDC) (4/5/21)
• Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility handout (CDC)
• Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19) (EPA)

Communication and Signage

• The VDH Signage Toolkits for Businesses includes signage to promote hand hygiene, physical distancing, and to encourage mask use.
• COVID-19 One-Stop Shop Communication Toolkits (CDC)
• COVID Related Videos/PSA's (CDC)
• Print-ready resources (CDC)
• Hygiene-related Posters (CDC)
• Handwashing Activities for Children

HVAC/Indoor Air Quality

Increasing ventilation in indoor spaces is one way to reduce potential for airborne transmission of COVID-19.  The EPA’s website on Indoor Air and Coronavirus (COVID-19) has more information about how to reduce potential airborne transmission of COVID-19.  The EPA also provides an Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit.  VHD has a page on Ventilation Best Practices and Ventilation Best Practices handout. 

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has Guidance for Building Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Technical Resources for the Reopening of Schools and Universities.  The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) also has Reopening Guidance for General Office Settings, which may be helpful for school facilities.

Day Camps:

Campers, staff, and visitors at day camps should follow guidelines outlined in CDC Guidance for Operating Youth Camps.

Overnight Camps:

For guidance on overnight camps, please see the overnight camp page.