Briefs about Health and Safety Topics (Updated July 2020)

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 and the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Program final rule (2016) require states and territories to have health and safety requirements for all providers that receive payments from the CCDF subsidy program. This series of briefs, updated in July 2020, provides an overview of national guidelines and state requirements in the following topics:

Brief #1: Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 

Brief #2: Administering Medications 

Brief #3: Prevention of and Response to Emergencies Due to Food and Allergic Reactions 

Brief #4: Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Using Safe Sleeping Practices 

Brief #5: Building and Physical Premises Safety 

Brief #6: Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning 

Brief #7: Handling, Storing, and Disposing of Hazardous Materials and Biological Contaminants 

Brief #8: Transportation of Children

Each brief provides the following:

Links to relevant standards from Caring for Our Children Basics: Health and Safety Foundations for Early Care and Education, which represents the minimum health and safety standards that experts believe should be in place where children are cared for outside their homes. Links to relevant standards in Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, CFOC Standards Online Database, which represents best practices with respect to health and safety in ECE settings and helps programs and providers implement Caring for Our Children Basics, understand the research and rationale behind the standards, and move to higher levels of quality in health and safety. Data from the 2017 Child Care Licensing Study about licensing requirements for child care centers, family child care homes, and group child care homes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Examples of regulatory requirements for licensed and license-exempt providers that represent a range of approaches taken by states.  Additional resources and tools to support states, territories, and tribes in the development and revision of health and safety requirements for child care settings.

In addition to supporting licensing administrators and CCDF administrators, the briefs can also be of value to ECE and school-age care and education providers seeking to improve health and safety within their learning environments. For additional support, please contact the ECQA Center at [email protected].