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Schools and child care programs

Information and resources on COVID-19 for schools and childcare programs.

COVID-19, flu and RSV prevention strategies

The same strategies used to prevent and respond to COVID-19 also work to control the spread of other respiratory illnesses, including flu and RSV. These prevention strategies include:

  • Encouraging children and employees to stay up to date on vaccinations, including COVID-19 and influenza (“the flu”)
  • Enhancing ventilation and improving air quality to reduce viruses in indoor spaces
  • Encouraging frequent handwashing and good respiratory etiquette
  • Daily cleaning and disinfecting
  • Monitoring children and employees for symptoms and sending individuals home when they are sick
  • Wearing well-fitting masks correctly when an outbreak is occurring or when respiratory disease spread and absenteeism is high
  • Having a process in place to inform students, children, employees and families when children or employees test positive for COVID-19 or when COVID-19 or other respiratory illness outbreaks are occurring

Reporting requirements

Parents and guardians

If a child tests positive for COVID-19, please report the case to their school or child care program immediately. This helps to stop the virus from spreading, protect kids and employees, and keep facilities open.

Child care or early learning programs 

Child care and early learning programs are required to report individual COVID-19 cases, outbreaks of COVID-19, and other suspected outbreaks per the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 110-300) and (WAC 246-101). 

To report a positive COVID-19 case, a COVID-19 outbreak, or other respiratory illness outbreak in your program:

Please explore the Child Care Health Program page, which includes information on many important health and safety topics. You may also email questions directly to the Child Care Health Program at cchp.support@kingcounty.gov.

K-12 Schools

K-12 Schools are required to report outbreaks of COVID-19 and other suspected outbreaks per the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 246-101). Reporting individual COVID-19 cases is optional.

To report a COVID-19 outbreak or other respiratory illness outbreak in your program:

If your school is already set up with reporting, please continue to report in the same manner. If you have any questions, please reach out tocovidcasereview@kingcounty.gov.

COVID-19 Outbreak definition for child care and K-12 schools

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) defines a COVID-19 outbreak as meeting criteria either from numbers 1 or 2 below, as well as from number 3:

  1. At least 5 cases within a specified core group (e.g., classroom, extracurricular activity, before/after school care) that meet criteria for a COVID-19 case from a positive test
    OR
  2. Multiple COVID-19 cases from positive tests comprising at least 20% of students, teachers, or staff within a specified core group.
    AND
  3. All the following criteria are met:
    • Initial cases have a symptom onset or positive test result within 7 days of each other.
    • There is no evidence that transmission was more likely to have occurred in another setting outside of school (e.g., household or outside social contact).
    • Cases are linked in the school setting or a school sanctioned extracurricular activity.

Resources

What to do When You are Sick With COVID-19 or Another Respiratory Virus, DOH

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