Child care COVID-19 health and safety
Health and safety information to assist and support child care providers with COVID-19 and to keep families informed of the latest public health guidance.
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Last updated: August 31, 2022
On this page:
Health and safety guidance
The Ministry of Health and the BCCDC have provided public health guidance for child care and school settings, which will continue to be updated as needed.
- Public Health Guidance for Communicable Disease (including COVID-19) Management in Child Care Settings (PDF, 120KB)
- Public Health Communicable Disease Guidance for K-12 Schools (PDF, 132KB)
Additional resources:
- BCCDC frequently asked questions for child care operators and staff
- BCCDC child care and school resources for parents, staff and operators
- Remember to wash your hands poster (PDF, 1130KB)
Rapid antigen tests
All funded child care operators throughout British Columbia should have now received their shipment of rapid tests. For instructions on how to use these Artron tests, there is information on the BC Center for Disease Control’s webpage that outlines how to ensure the most accurate results. There are a limited number of tests for each facility and should only be used when needed.
Please review the below commonly asked questions for more information.
Rapid antigen tests are recommended for use among child care staff who are currently experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. The tests are not recommended for children under five years old due to the size of the swab relative to the size of their nose.
Rapid antigen tests should only be used by those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The use of rapid antigen tests is suggested when the results will inform what to do next. For example, before an adult enters a facility, or before visiting someone who is at higher risk of complications if they were to get COVID-19.
The tests are recommended to be used at home. Test kits should be distributed to staff so they are available when symptoms begin to develop.
The tests should not be used as a condition of entry, and a negative test is not required for entry, even among those who recently tested positive. If the test is positive, it means you should not go to the child care centre. A negative test does not mean it’s okay to go to child care if you continue to show or feel symptoms of COVID-19.
If you test positive for COVID-19 (whether by PCR or rapid antigen), you should self-isolate for at least 5 to10 days, depending on age and vaccination status. Information about when you can end isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 is available on the BCCDC website.
People who are symptomatic and test negative should stay home until they feel well enough to participate in regular day to day activities.
Health and safety information sessions
Child Care COVID-19 Guidance Q&A
Dr. Jason Wong, Associate Medical Director, Clinical Prevention Services, BC Centre for Disease Control and Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, Deputy Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health answered questions on the latest update to Public Health Guidance for Child Care Settings (PDF, 120KB)
- View the recording of the session
- View the additional information on fevers:
Child Care: Discussing COVID-19 with Public Health
Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Reka Gustafson, Vice President, Public Health and Wellness, Provincial Health Services Authority and Deputy Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Jason Wong, Associate Medical Director, Clinical Prevention Services, BC Centre for Disease Control and Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, Deputy Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health spoke to the recent updates of the health and safety guidelines for child care settings and answered child care sector questions.
- View the recording of the session
- View the additional health and safety, and operational policy questions and answers (PDF, 172KB) (March 3, 2022)
Dr. Patricia Daly, Vice-President, Public Health and Chief Medical Health Officer from Vancouver Coastal Health, Dr. Geoff McKee, Medical Director, Population and Public Health at BC Centre for Disease Control, Jacqueline Holmes, Manager of Prevention Field Services at WorksafeBC held a town hall to discuss recently updated health and safety guidelines for child care settings.
- View the townhall video
- View the additional questions and answer (PDF, 192KB)
Minister of State for Child Care, Katrina Chen, Medical Lead for the office of the Provincial Health Officer Dr. Trevor Corneil, and moderator Jinny Sims, MLA, held a town hall to discuss child care and COVID-19 for parents.
- View the townhall video
Dr. Patricia Daly, Vice-President, Public Health and Chief Medical Health Officer from Vancouver Coastal Health, answered questions directly from child care providers.
- Listen to the audio recording or read the transcript
Please note: All information presented at the live events was accurate at the time the event was held.
