Child Care

Child Care Resource & Referral - Iowa (CCR&R) - CCR&R agencies are community-based programs staffed by early care and education professionals that work to connect families with quality child care services. CCR&R has a free, confidential service that offers parents customized referrals to child care programs along with several educational tools to aid in their search for quality child care.

Are you a child care provider and looking for resources during this pandemic? Check out this link from CCR&R: https://iowaccrr.org/providers/links/resources2020/

The Healthy Child Care Iowa (HCCI) website has posted some new/updated COVID-19 guidance for child care programs at https://www.idph.iowa.gov/hcci/products (scroll down to the COVID-19 section):

Reopening:

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has released a new child care tool for helping make decisions regarding reopening. The purpose of this tool is to assist directors and administrators in making reopening decisions. The Child Care Decision Tool can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/Childcare-Decision-Tree.pdf

• CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/pdf/Reopening_America_Guidance.pdf

• CDC Guidance for Child Care Programs that Remain Open updated 04/21/2020  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-childcare.html

• IDPH Reopening Guidance  https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus/Guidance

• Remember that all child care programs (centers and homes) must follow the DHS COVID-19 Guidance  https://dhs.iowa.gov/COVID19

Health and Safety Concerns for COVID-19 Exposure

• CDC Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility When Someone is Sick https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html 

• IDPH What to Do If You Are Sick (for sharing with families and staff) https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus/Public

• Remember to refer to the IDPH Child Care Centers and Homes Health & Safety Concerns document at https://www.idph.iowa.gov/hcci/products (scroll down to the COVID-19 section). 

• Child care programs with exposure concerns should contact their local public health and local Child Care Nurse Consultant (CCNC)