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K-12 School and Child Care Guidance (2024-25 School Year) >
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K-12 School and Child Care Guidance (2024-25 School Year)
Safe Schools for All Hub includes key resources and information for school administrators, parents, and students. This hub is maintained by the CDPH Office of School Health.
Considerations when a Child has Symptoms of Illness in Child Care or School (Updated 10/2/23)
When to Keep Your Child Home from School or Child Care (PDF) | English / Spanish
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COVID-19 Guidance
COVID-19 Guidance for Students and Families
COVID-19 Isolation Guidance: CDPH Guidance for Local Health Jurisdictions and the general public (Updated 1/9/24)
COVID-19 Guidance for School and Child Care Staff
Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations FAQs (Updated 5/22/24)
For guidance on how to respond to outbreaks, see the Cal/OSHA FAQ on Outbreaks
COVID-19 Testing
slopublichealth.org/testing: Options to test for COVID-19 in SLO County
If you have tested positive for COVID-19:
slopublichealth.org/IQ: Instructions for what to do if you have tested positive for COVID-19
COVID-19 Isolation Guidance: CDPH Guidance for Local Health Jurisdictions and the general public (Updated 1/9/24)
If a student or staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, they should:
Isolate at home until they have not had a fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication AND other COVID-19 symptoms are mild and improving,
Wear a well-fitted mask around others through the end of Day 10 following symptom-onset or testing positive for COVID-19 (if asymptomatic), and
Avoid contact with people at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection for 10 days.
See slopublichealth.org/IQ for detailed instructions, including information about treatment and at-home care.
If you have been exposed to COVID-19:
slopublichealth.org/IQ: Instructions for what to do if you have been exposed to COVID-19
"Close Contact" means: In indoor spaces of 400,000 or fewer cubic feet per floor (such as homes, clinic waiting rooms, airplanes, etc.), close contact is defined as sharing the same indoor airspace for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes) during a confirmed case's infectious period.
If a student or staff member has been exposed, they should test for COVID-19 if:
They have new COVID-19 symptoms. They should test right away and wear a well-fitted mask around others.
They do not have symptoms but are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection and may be eligible for treatment. They should test within 5 days of exposure.
They do not have symptoms but have contact with individuals who are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection. They should mask indoors when around such people for 10 days and consider testing within 5 days after the last exposure date (Day 0) and before contact with higher-risk individuals.
If a person has COVID-19 symptoms and tests negative on an antigen test, they should test again at least a day later (note that antigen tests in infected people may not be positive right away even if symptoms are present).
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Communicable Disease Reporting
List of Reportable Diseases and Conditions
Title 17, California Code of Regulations (CCR) §2500, §2593, §2641.5-2643.20, and §2800-2812
K-12 Schools are required to report communicable disease outbreaks pursuant to CCR Title 17 §2500 and §2508. Note that CCR Title 17 §2500 has been temporarily modified by the State Public Health Officer Order of October 4, 2022.
Child Care Centers are required to report epidemic outbreaks to the Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) through their local regional office pursuant to Title 22 CCR section 101212(d).
Family Child Care Homes are required to report a communicable disease outbreak, when determined by the local health authority, to CCLD through their local regional office pursuant to Title 22 CCR section 102416.2(c)(3).
Note: The total number of cases that constitute an outbreak varies by disease.
How to Report Communicable Disease Outbreaks
To report two or more cases of non-COVID-19 illness, authorized school or child care personnel should email [email protected] with a completed version of this line list attached.
To report an outbreak of COVID-19, (defined as 3+ cases within a cohort, such as a class or team), authorized school or child care personnel should email [email protected] with the following details:
How many staff cases
How many student cases
Name of cohort (e.g., Ms. Smith’s 2nd grade class, JV boys' basketball team, etc.)
Name of school
Date of first case’s symptom onset (or date of first positive test if no symptoms)
If you wish to report a case of an unusual illness, authorized school or child care personnel can email [email protected] with the following details:
Case Name
Case Phone Number
Case Email (if available)
Date when symptoms began
School Point of Contact Name
School Point of Contact Phone Number
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Exposure Notifications (Template Letters)
Schools and child care facilities may personalize the template letters below to distribute to parents/guardians in the instance of an outbreak.
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Vaccinations
Up to Date and Ready to Learn: Information about childhood vaccines. Protect the moments today that are building a foundation for a bright future.
Shots for School: Parents must show proof of their child's immunizations prior to school admission. The Public Health Department offers a variety of vaccines, including those required by California schools.
- Vaccines & Immunizations: List of vaccines and immunizations available for scheduling through Public Health clinic locations
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Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Dilute, Mix, and Filter the Air: CDPH guidance to improve IAQ in workplaces
EPA.gov/iaq-schools: Resources for creating healthy IAQ in schools
Improving Indoor Air Quality in Schools: CDPH tips to improve IAQ in schools
Interim Guidance for Ventilation, Filtration, and Air Quality in Indoor Environments: CDPH guidance and recommendations of practical steps that building operators can take to promote better ventilation, filtration, and air quality in indoor environments for the purpose of reducing the spread of COVID-19 and other aerosolized infectious agents
Technical considerations for facility maintenance staff: CDPH guidance for facility maintenance staff to reduce long-range airborne transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections
Wildfire Smoke: Considerations for California’s Public Health Officials: An in-depth PDF with resources and information to prepare for when wildfire smoke is prevalent for a wide-array of settings, including K-12 schools and child care facilities, and for high-risk groups, like young children, older adults, individuals with immunocompromising conditions, and those who are pregnant
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Health and Wellness
Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders (CDC, Dec 2023)
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Contact
For general questions, contact Kelsi Elliott at [email protected]Title 17, California Code of Regulations (CCR) | 805-788-2123