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  1. COVID-19 resources
  2. For schools and child care

Schools and child care

As of April 15, 2021, all people in Washington state age 16 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Due to limited supply of vaccine, not everyone will be able to access a vaccine right away. Access will improve as the federal vaccine supply improves and providers in King County receive more doses.

Learn how to get vaccinated in King County, read more about the expanded vaccination eligibility, and view Public Health's Vaccine Strategy.

Teachers, parents and caregivers have been resourceful, creative, and patient in supporting at-home learning. Child care and early learning centers have been critical in supporting workers on the front line of our COVID-19 response. We commend all their efforts! Please check this site for updated guidance for schools and child care.

Currently, many schools and higher education institutions in Washington State will be starting the 2020 – 21 school year with remote learning. Many school sites are operating "Grab and Go" student meal sites in King County.

Child care and early learning programs are open. They play a critical role in keeping emergency rooms operating, essential businesses functioning, and our children safe as parents continue working. Our Child care providers are superheroes: From a parent in Public Health.

Report concerns about a case, cluster or outbreak in a schools and childcare setting.

FAQ about schools and child care during COVID-19


Guidance documents

Do you need help with child care costs?

Do you need help with
child care costs?
You may qualify for financial assistance if you live or work in King County and fall within income guidelines OR are an essential worker.

King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit, Guidance for K-12 Schools

COVID-19 Response Toolkit
for K-12 schools

Guidance for Child Care Administrators Updated Jan. 22, 2021

Includes guidance document, checklists, fact sheets, and letter templates to support COVID-19 prevention and response within child care. Translated resources available for administrators and families.


Respond to confirmed case of COVID-19 in child care

  • One or more individuals who have spent time in your facility have tested positive for COVID-19 (ex: child, staff or volunteer)

To notify Public Health:

  • Call the COVID-19 Call Center between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM PST at 206-477-3977. Identify yourself as a child care provider. Interpreters are available.
  • OR complete a COVID-19 Intake Survey. Public Health will respond with an email or phone call.

Refer to the Guidance for Child Care Administrators for more information.


Additional resources

Signs to print and post to help establishments communicate with their customers and staff the steps they are taking to minimize the risk of COVID-19.

Posters for families and staff at childcare centers

Poster for Families at childcare centers

Poster for families at childcare centers

Poster for childcare center staff

Poster for childcare center staff

Supervise children who are wearing face coverings. Keep 6 feet apart from others as much as possible.

Poster for childcare facilities

Below are local, state, and national resources to support school planning process for the fall semester:

King County resources

Washington state resources

National resources

Resources for school workplaces

Poster: Face covering information for schools

Poster: Face covering information for schools

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The following archive of emails includes information and resources that are current at the time of publication (noted in the title). Information on COVID-19 and available resources changes regularly and may not be accurately reflected in older materials.

In order from latest emails to oldest (PDF)

  • April 1, 2021
    • Key Indicators of COVID-19 Activity
    • Distancing Guidance from the Department of Health
    • Guidance Updates for Phase 3
    • Vaccine Updates
    • Return to In-Person Learning Support from WCAAP
    • Please Share with Your Community
    • Travel Guidance for Spring Break and Beyond
    • Guidance Spotlight: School Bus Safety During COVID-19
    • Now that You're Vaccinated…
    • Schools and Child Care Task Force Office Hours

  • March 25, 2021
    • Key Indicators of COVID-19 Activity
    • Guidance Updates for Phase 3
    • Updated Distancing Guidance from the Department of Health
    • Vaccine Updates
    • Guidance for Spring Events: Prom and Graduation
    • Please Share with Your Community
    • Updated Guidancefor Travel
    • Guidance Spotlight: School Bus Safety During COVID-19
    • Now that You're Vaccinated…
    • Schools and Child Care Task Force Office Hours

  • March 18, 2021
    • Key Indicators of COVID-19 Activity
    • CDC Guidance Updates
    • Vaccine Updates
    • COVID Community Vaccination Event Planning Workbooks
    • Environmental Health after Extended Closures
    • CDC Recommendations for Ventilation in Schools and Child Care Settings
    • Special Enrollment for Washington Health Care
    • Events
    • Spring Break and Travel
    • Now that You're Vaccinated…
    • School and District Town Hall Meetings
    • Schools and Child Care Task Force Office Hours

  • March 11, 2021
    • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
    • Vaccine Updates
    • COVID Community Vaccination Event Planning Workbooks
    • Special Enrollment for Washington Health Care
    • Updated Mask Posters
    • Events
    • Updated Guidance from the CDC – When You've Been Fully Vaccinated
    • School and District Town Hall Meetings
    • Schools and Child Care Task Force Office Hours

  • March 4, 2021
    • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
    • Vaccine Updates
    • Special Enrollment for Washington Health Care
    • Events
    • Resources for Learning about Ventilation in Schools and Child Care Programs
    • School and District Town Hall Meetings
    • Schools and Child Care Task Force Office Hours

  • February 25, 2021
    • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
    • New Schools Modeling Report from the Department of Health and Institute for Disease Modeling
    • Vaccine Updates
    • Masks Protect You and Me: Updated Posters on Mask Use
    • BLIND COVID Telephone Line
    • Special Enrollment for Washington Health Care
    • Events
      • Schools and Child Care Task Force Office Hours
      • PHSKC support and assistance to schools survey

    • February 18, 2021
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Updated CDC Guidance for Schools
      • Vaccine updates
      • Washington State Schools Outbreak Report
      • Dept. of Health & Fred Hutch COVID Resource Website
      • Upcoming Events
      • Update! Schools and Childcare Task Force office hours
      • PHSKC support and assistance to schools survey

    • February 4, 2021
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Vaccine updates
      • Performing arts updates to DOH K-12 guidance
      • Schools and Childcare Task Force office hours

    • January 14, 2021
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Vaccine updates
      • Schools and Childcare Task Force office hours
      • Mental health resources
    • January 7, 2021
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Vaccine updates
      • Schools and Childcare Task Force office hours
      • Straight talk about the new variant COVID-19 strain
      • REMINDER: Please share your COVID Coordinators’ contact info with PHSKC
      • Training resources
    • December 31, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • *NEW* Schools and Childcare Task Force office hours
      • REMINDER: Please share your COVID Coordinators’ contact info with PHSKC
    • December 23, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • COVID-19 consumer protection resources
      • Training opportunities
      • Mental health resources
    • December 17, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Updates to the DOH “decision tree”
      • K-12 school testing guidance
      • Quarantine updates
      • COVID-19 vaccine plan for schools and childcare
      • Upcoming and recorded trainings available
      • New testing site in Bellevue
      • Mental health resources
      • Why you should be cautious when you’re taking a break at work
    • December 10, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • REMINDER: Please share your COVID Coordinators’ contact info with PHSKC
      • Quarantine changes
      • Ventilation/disinfection webinar recording
      • New testing site - Enumclaw
      • Mental health resources

    • December 3, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • REMINDER: Please share your COVID Coordinators’ contact info with PHSKC
      • Registration open! Webinar on disinfection, ventilation, and filtration in K-12 schools
      • DOH announces Exposure Notifications
      • Public Health releases Exposure Report
      • COVID vaccine website
      • Upcoming events: Insurance enrollment and flu shot clinics
      • Mental health resources
    • November 25, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • REMINDER: Please share your COVID Coordinators’ contact info with PHSKC
      • Save the date! Webinar on disinfection, ventilation, and filtration in K-12 schools
      • Support for workers during COVID-19
      • New financial assistance programs to support Washington businesses and families
      • New Highline College testing site
      • Upcoming vaccine clinics
      • What the Governor’s recent announcements mean for informal learning pods
    • November 19, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Please share your COVID Coordinators’ contact info with PHSKC
      • Increasing COVID-19 cases in King County
        • What does that mean for schools?
        • Testing capacity
      • Stipends for workers to isolate or quarantine
      • Mental health resources for educators and families
        • Community wellbeing postcards project
        • Difficult conversations this holiday season
      • Air Quality Resources from the Environmental Protection Agency

    • November 11, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Key PHSKC resources for K-12 Schools
      • Holiday advisories
      • Mental health resources for educators and families
      • Flu vaccine community resources
    • November 5, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • New Institute of Disease Modeling schools report released
      • Air quality resources
      • Updated schools and childcare documents and translations
      • Youth & all ages suicide risk health advisory
      • COVID-19 Behavioral Health Group Impact Reference Guide

    • October 29, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • L&I  consultation resources
      • Updated definition of close contact
      • Key message to share with your communities:
        • COVID-19 surges as fall arrives
        • Travel considerations during a pandemic
      • Ventilation and air quality for reducing transmission of COVID-19
      • Updates to DOH Fall K-12 guidance

    • October 22, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Multilingual Federal Way COVID-19 testing site flyers
      • COVID-19 relief funds for immigrants:
        • Seattle COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund for Immigrants
        • Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund
      • Flu vaccine: Why is it so important this year?
      • Safer gathering with friends – fall holiday celebrations
      • Seattle Parks opens seven learning hubs for Seattle students

    • October 15, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Multilingual COVID-19 testing site flyers
      • OSPI dashboard on instruction modalities
      • Governor’s sporting activities FAQ
      • COVID-19 guidance for educators: Recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect in online education settings

    • October 13, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • COVID-19 cases are rising in King County – what does that mean for schools?
      • More frequent data updates

    • October 8, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
        • Accessing the key metric: Dashboard navigation
        • Localized data
      • Reminder: Review and share King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit
      • Preparing for an increase in local COVID-19 cases
      • New COVID-19 testing sites
      • School-based COVID-19 testing strategies
      • New K-12 sports guidance

    • September 30, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Updates to PHSKC Childcare guidance
      • Childcare vouchers available through December 2020
      • Halloween and fall holiday tips during the pandemic
      • Employer health & safety requirements for school scenarios

    • September 23, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity 
      • Reopening schools in the moderate phase of transmission
      • “Picture day” during the COVID-19 pandemic 
      • Upcoming drive-thru vaccination clinics
    • September 16, 2020
      • Key indicators of COVID-19 activity
      • Considerations for gradual return to in-person learning
      • PHSKC FAQ updates
    • September 9, 2020
      • Getting updates from PHSKC
      • PHSKC toolkit updates, training, and translations
      • Promote flu shots
      • School-based health centers are open
      • Mental health during the pandemic
      • Pandemic EBT
      • Learning pods: back to school decisions during a pandemic

    • August 28, 2020
      • *NEW* King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit and FAQ
      • Share these messages with your community
      • Food insecurity in King County
      • King County dedicates $41 million to COVID-19-related rental assistance and eviction prevention
      • School-community partnerships for students during COVID-19
      • Immunization guidance on K-12 distance learning from DOH/OSPI

    • July 31, 2020
      • Communication resources for families
      • Guidance and tool updates
      • Regional public sector employees extend teleworking until 2021
      • Update from Health Officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin
      • CDC report emphasizes COVID-19 can cause prolonged illness, including in younger people

    • July 16, 2020
      • The Intersection of Racism, Health, and Education
      • New Report on COVID-19 Transmission in Schools
      • Surge in Cases in King County Driven by Younger Residents
      • Data on Number of Cases and Case Rates in Children
      • Free Face Coverings
      • Guidance and Tool Updates

    • June 9, 2020
      • Updates

    • May 8, 2020
      • Updated guidance on child cares
      • Other relevant guidance
      • Related COVID-19 news
      • Community Mitigation and Recovery Branch - Sector Specific Task Forces
Key takeaways for youth and summer camps
  • The types of camps and programs included in this guidance are allowed to operate during all phases of the Governor's Safe Start Plan.
  • Group sizes should total no more than 22 people. (Camps may operate with multiple groups so long as physical distancing can be maintained.)
  • Use of cloth face coverings by staff and children (possible exemptions are noted)
  • Physical distancing should be observed during camp activities and drop off/pick up.
  • Health screenings should be conducted upon arrival.
  • Sports-related activities must follow the Governor's Guidelines for Sporting Activities and CDC Guidance for Youth Sports

Public Health guidance for youth and summer camps

Additional implementation support

Training videos

Question-and-answer session with Nancy Bernard, MPH, REHS, CPSI, manager of Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) Indoor Air Quality and School Environmental Health and Safety Programs. Discussion topics include safer practices for disinfection in K-12 schools during the COVID pandemic and some of the issues/health reactions being reported. This is an accompaniment to DOH guidance on Ventilation and Air Quality for Reducing Transmission of COVID-19.  


This video will serve as a short primer to the King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit and its various components, helping to guide you through its contents and identify key resources necessary for schools to prepare and respond to the needs of resuming in-person education.

Part one of a five part series providing an orientation and training to the King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit: Guidance for K-12 Schools. Part one covers the roles and responsibilities of COVID-19 Coordinators and other roles at both the District and School level, as well as how they interact with Public Health. This is an accompaniment video series to the toolkit documents found on the PHSKC website www.kingcounty.gov/covid/K12-toolkit

Part two of a five part series providing an orientation and training to the King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit: Guidance for K-12 Schools. Part two covers symptom screening requirements that schools and districts need to have in place to accommodate return-to-school learning. This is an accompaniment video series to the toolkit documents found on the PHSKC website www.kingcounty.gov/covid/K12-toolkit

Part three of a five part series providing an orientation and training to the King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit: Guidance for K-12 Schools. Part three of the series covers actions schools and districts should take when notified of COVID-like illness symptoms in students or staff. This is an accompaniment video series to the toolkit documents found on the PHSKC website: www.kingcounty.gov/covid/K12-toolkit

Part four of a five part series providing an orientation and training to the King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit: Guidance for K-12 Schools. Part four of the series covers actions schools and districts should take when notified of a positive COVID-19 case in their students or staff. This is an accompaniment video series to the toolkit documents found on the PHSKC website: www.kingcounty.gov/covid/K12-toolkit

The last installment of a five part series providing an orientation and training to the King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit: Guidance for K-12 Schools. Part five of the series discusses when a student or staff can return to school given various different scenarios, such as after being identified as a Close Contact, after having COVID-19 or a COVID-like illness, or other situations. This is an accompaniment video series to the toolkit documents found on the PHSKC website: www.kingcounty.gov/covid/K12-toolkit

Link/share our site at www.kingcounty.gov/covid/schools