2022-23 Covid Health & Safety Protocols
We continue to evolve our practices and work with our licensing agency, the Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE), and DC Health to stay informed about changing community Covid levels and best practice recommendations for Early Education/Child Care Centers.


Our goal is to keep classrooms open and keep everyone in the building healthy to prevent Covid spread.


Parents may always choose to keep a child home from school if there is a classroom exposure. However, there will be no virtual instruction at CCPC, nor refunds for days missed due to our exclusion policies. These guidelines are subject to change at any time. We will inform our community promptly of any new policies.
School/Home Communication is Critical

CCPC can most effectively manage community health when we receive accurate and timely information from our families about symptoms, exposures, and positive cases. Please notify Director Noni Lindahl by email as soon as possible about these circumstances.
Masks Welcome at your personal discretion

Masking is a choice, but not a requirement, for healthy students and teachers. Your teacher will record your mask preferences for indoor, outdoor and snack seating which you can change at any time. Masking will be required as outlined below in the case of an exposure or positive case. When children wear masks to school, we highly recommend a N-95 or KN-94 mask. Here is a link to the masks we use at school that you can purchase in order to to a have a good supply on hand when needed.

Please note: Children under age 2 (our Pandas) are not required to mask at any time, but we do encourage parents working with our youngest learners to help them develop this skill.
Vaccination Policy

Per DC licensing regulations, all teachers are required to be vaccinated.

DC Health and OSSE strongly recommend all eligible children receive a full course of vaccination against Covid-19. CCPC likewise recommends, but does not require, vaccination for its students. We respect each families choice for their child.

School Inclusion/Exclusion Policies
When to Stay Home
  • We ask parents to carefully monitor their child's health and keep sick children home.
  • A fever always means stay home until the child has been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
  • Diarrhea always means stay home until the symptom has resolved without the use of medication.
  • Teachers who notice signs of illness will alert the office and parents will be notified to pick up their child as needed.

Protocols for Testing Your Child (Test-to-Stay)
  • Please keep a good supply of rapid (antigen) tests on hand. Tests are widely available and often free.
  • When your child is symptomatic, you will be required to submit a negative antigen test report prior to coming to school.
  • For example, mild congestion and a negative test report allows a morning at school.
  • Exemption: Children who have had Covid are exempt from all testing for 90 days following their case onset.
  • Required test results should be reported by email to the office by 8:30am.

Protocols for Exposures
  • The classroom is open. Staff and children can continue to attend school as long as they remain asymptomatic.
  • Test-to-Stay protocols apply for children who develop symptoms.
  • A negative rapid/antigen test report at Day 3 and Day 5 following exposure is required. The day of exposure is Day Zero.
  • Parents should closely monitor for any Covid symptoms.
  • Following a School exposure, all exposed children and teachers will mask for a period of 10 days as a layer of transmission protection.
  • Following an Out of School exposure, the asymptomatic, negative-tested, exposed child will mask at school through Day 10.

Protocols for Positive Cases
  • The classroom is open. Staff and children can continue to attend school as long as they remain asymptomatic.
  • The child who tested positive will stay home from school and isolate for 5 full days from becoming ill or the day of the positive test.
  • The date of symptom onset or positive test is counted as Day Zero.
  • On day 6, the child who tested positive may return if they had a mild case and symptoms are resolving and they have cleared the fever requirement.
  • Testing is not required. However, Test-to-Stay protocols apply for the returning child who develops additional symptoms or prior symptoms worsen.
  • The returning child will mask at school through Day 10. Wearing a well-fitting mask consistently and correctly reduces the risk of spreading the virus that causes Covid-19.
Ventilation and Cleaning Practices are Key

Last year, a new HVAC system was installed to maximize air flow. In addition, individual air purifier units and oscillating fans operate in each classroom. We are working with the church to replace all of the windows in the Education Wing to ensure easy opening and closing for even better air circulation! We know that increased ventilation is a key indicator of successful Covid management.

Our customary robust sanitizing and disinfecting of classroom surfaces and materials along with frequent hand washing will, of course, continue.