NCDHHS is offering free, rapid, at-home COVID-19 test kits to be delivered directly to North Carolina early childhood programs. To order tests, child care programs must first register and get approved. Once approved, use the Testing Order Form to request tests by the ordering dates listed on the Ordering Calendar.

WATCH! COVID-19 Webinar Now Available in English and Spanish!

English: https://youtu.be/gw2xWYCdF5A

Español: https://youtu.be/p-6GvnpgOa0

Guidance: Managing COVID-19 Cases in Child Care Facilities.

The Division of Child Development and Early Education recently held a Public Health Town Hall for Early Care and Learning Professionals to learn about the latest vaccines, treatments, and tools to combat COVID-19. Led by DCDEE Legislative Liaison & Policy Manager Arlette Lambert, MSW, the town hall featured NCDHHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Charlene Wong, MD; and NCDHHS State Child Care Nurse Consultant Amy Petersen, BSN, RN of the Division of Child and Family Well-Being.

DCDEE also announced the retirement of the ChildCareStrongNC Public Health Toolkit effective August 31, 2022. Child care programs and local health departments should follow the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Operational Guidance for Early Care and Education Programs with the following exception: mask exemptions are allowed in North Carolina when children and staff return to child care following an exposure or 5-10 days after a COVID-19 infection. For details on the specific mask exemptions, as well as information to support implementation of the CDC guidance, please see DCDEE’s supplemental document, Managing COVID-19 Cases in Child Care Facilities.

In order to best support you as you respond to COVID, the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) is sharing the following new resources:

• The COVID-19 in NC and the ChildCareStrongNC Public Health Toolkit: What You Need to Know live event held August 6, 2021, is now available on YouTube and in Moodle (see instructions below). This training shares the latest data on the Delta variant, ways to help promote the COVID-19 vaccine, and recent changes made to the ChildCareStrongNC Public Health Toolkit.  
• DCDEE has also posted the questions and answers from the COVID-19 in NC and the ChildCareStrongNC Public Health Toolkit: What You Need to Know on the DCDEE website. 

Accessing Online Training Module:

In order to receive credit for the training, please log into the DCDEE Moodle platform to view information. To access training in the Moodle platform, you will need to login with your NCID - the same NCID that used for WORKS login, and/or the CBC Portal.

If you do not have an NCID, use this link to get one: Getting your NCID Username and Password.

• From the Moodle home screen go to my courses; click on COVID-19 in NC and the ChildCareStrongNC Public Health Toolkit: What You Need to Know.  Certificates cannot be generated until the module is completed in its entirety.
• Click the link provided to go directly to DCDEE's Moodle page.
• Moodle can also be accessed through

The 2021-2022 Interim COVID-19 Policies for NC Pre-K Programs applies to all NC Pre-K Providers – regardless of whether they are located in in public schools or nonpublic/private sites and provides information on the following:

• Health & Safety Guidance
• Program Year
• Classroom Staff
• Mode of Instruction
• Circumstances When Remote Learning May Be Needed
• Remote Learning Requirements
• Teaching Strategies Resources
• Payment Policy

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people who live in areas with high or substantial levels of transmission wear a mask when in indoor public settings--even if they are vaccinated.

The ChildCareStrongNC Public Health Toolkit (also available in Spanish) has been updated to align with this recommendation, and includes the following updates:

• The Toolkit has been updated to align with current CDC COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care Programs and CDC’s updated guidance from July 27, 2021.
• Each section of the Toolkit has been organized into three categories that prioritize implementation of the strategies that have been shown to be most effective in lowering the risk of COVID-19 exposure and spread in child care settings.

1. Strategies that are required are based on existing North Carolina laws and child care rules and must be followed by all child care providers.
2. Strategies that NC DHHS recommends that child care programs require. These strategies, if not implemented, create conditions of high risk for COVID-19 exposure and spread. NCDHHS strongly advises that child care programs adopt all the strategies in these sections. 
3. Strategies that child care programs should consider adopting. These are strategies to provide additional layers of prevention and that, if implemented, will further reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and spread.
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