February 11, 2022
Dear Valued Child Care Providers,
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidance for Early Care and
Education (ECE) programs.
In response to the new guidance and in order to prioritize access to learning and care for children and families, Rhode Island has updated our guidance for children age 4 and younger in child care programs.
The Child Care Outbreak and Response playbook will be updated to reflect these changes shortly.
Highlights
In line with the CDC guidance, Rhode Island updated guidance to recommend shortened isolation and quarantine periods for children age 2 and older if they can wear a well-fitting mask. However, child
care providers may choose to shorten isolation and quarantine for children younger than age 2.
Rhode Island continues to recommend shortened isolation and quarantine periods for school-aged
children (age 5 and older), adults, and staff who are able to wear a well-fitting mask.
People who are immunocompromised should isolate and quarantine for at least 10 days and up to 20
days, and wear a well-fitting mask for 10 more days. They should consult their healthcare provider
about when it’s safe to be around others.
Considerations for Child Care Providers
- Masks are required for staff and adults in child care settings and strongly recommended for
children age 2 and older.
• Providers may choose to implement quarantine and isolation policies that are stricter than the
RIDOH recommendations. These policies should be communicated in the child care’s sick policy. - Providers should continue to use layered COVID-19 prevention strategies to limit the spread
and impact of COVID-19 on their child care communities. Child care programs serve a
population that is largely unmasked and not yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. - Cases should still be reported to RIDOH via ridoh.covidchildcare@health.ri.gov.
- RIDOH may provide additional recommendations if there’s an outbreak.
Sincerely,
The RIDOH COVID Child Care Unit
