03.02.09e Contagious Disease Procedures

Contagious Disease Procedures (03.02.09e/7.20.21)

The following procedure is designed to help ensure students have a safe and healthy learning environment. Hand washing, cleaning and sanitizing can help in the spread of contagious diseases caused by viruses.

Steps to take if a child/staff is found to be asymptomatic of a contagious disease:

  1. If it's a child, contact their parent/guardian
  2. Staff will be sent home and must contact their medical provider
  3. Contact your local health department for guidance in 
    1. Cleaning and disinfecting: (difference between cleaning and disinfecting) cleaning is the removal of dirt and contaminants and disinfecting is cleaning with a chemical solution to kill germs on surfaces, i.e. bleach solution*
    2. Decision to close (If closing, call your DCFS representative and grantee).
    3. Child/Staff health provider will let the center know when the child/staff may return to the center.

If decision is to close center contact parents and let them know, also:

  1. Make a list of essential staff that will need to be at the center and those that do not need to there. Look into having staff work from home as an option.
  2. Be in continuous contact with your Local Health Department for guidance for when child/staff may return to the center after being cleared of the illness.

If at any time a pandemic crisis arises take the following steps to ensure continuous communication with staff and families.

  1. Contact your local health department for guidance.
  2. Plan ways to continue basic functions if your program is closed.
  3. Plan ways to help families continue their child's learning if your childcare program or preschool is closed. (For example, give parents things they can work with their child at home.)
  4. Meet with your HSAC members for guidance in decision making during an outbreak or pandemic.
  5. Maintaining adequate supplies of items to control the spread of infection. Develop a list of items that are needed and make a box with these items to have readily available at any time.

*bleach solution: 1/3 cup of bleach to 1-gallon of water.