Our Health Policy

A happy girl wearing a mask to protect from airborne viruses.

Children learn best when they are healthy!  Keeping your child happy and healthy is our number one priority, and so we follow best practices as set out by the LA County Department of Health .

Vaccination:

For the wellbeing of everyone attending we require that all children enrolled have completed their state mandated immunizations and have received their yearly flu vaccine.  We also highly encourage families to keep their children up-to-date with the most recent COVID-19 vaccines available for their age group.  All of our staff has been vaccinated for for both flu and COVID-19.   

Ventilation:

Air quality matters!  In order to decrease the transmission of airborne viruses we have installed multiple HEPA air purifiers throughout our shared spaces.  We also monitor our indoor air quality with Aranet4 CO2 monitors to ensure that there is adequate fresh air and ventilation. During periods of high transmission, we move most of our activities outdoors (weather permitting).

Masks/Respirators:

We operate our program in an inclusive environment which means we take into account the health and well being of ALL of our children AND their families equally.  This means we consider the fact that some children enrolled and/or their family members may be at high risk for severe complications from COVID-19.  Therefore we will be requiring that high quality well-fitting masks be worn indoors by students and adults alike during periods of substantial and/or high community transmission.

We provide the masks for the children enrolled free of charge.  Adults will be required to supply their own masks.  Acceptable mask styles are N95, KN95, KF94, or the equivalent.  Blue surgical and/or cloth masks are not considered acceptable because they are not designed to prevent the spread airborne viruses, and so do not provide adequate protection.

 

Why do we go to the trouble of masking and keeping our indoor air well ventilated?…

We care about children and their families’ health!

We follow the data and stay up-to-date about COVID-19 and other health information. 

Articles to share:

CDC National Wastewater Data Surveillance System

Want to know what illnesses are circulating locally right now?….Check out the   Wastewater SCAN Dashboard (Click on the graph tab on the left to see trends.)

08/26/2024 Long COVID is a “public health crisis for kids,” experts say

05/15/2024  Long Covid has the “ability to impact everyone, regardless of age or the severity of one’s original symptoms.”

04/24/2024 “COVID-19 poses a serious risk to brain health, even in mild cases, and the effects are now being revealed at the population level,”…

02/17/2024 Understanding Long COVID in Children: What Parents Need to Know

02/07/2024 Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 in Children

Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores

Virtually all children infected with COVID-19 show signs of blood vessel damage, study shows

“Myocardial deformation abnormalities in previously healthy children with an asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 course after an average follow-up of 148 ± 68 days.”

Study: 1 in 6 kids have persistent COVID symptoms for 3 months after infection  

Evidence of thrombotic microangiopathy in children with SARS-CoV-2 across the spectrum of clinical presentations

Prevalence and risk factor for long COVID in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis.

Long Covid Is Disabling Kids

02/2023: Covid-19 linked to 40% increase in autoimmune disease risk

01/2023: Covid-19 is a leading cause of death of children and young people in the U.S. 

The Risks of Even Mild COVID-19: 1 in 4 Showing Cognitive Deficits After Mild Case     

COVID-19 neuro complications, long-term symptoms in kids

Lasting Lung Damage Seen in Children and Teens after COVID

Covid-19 increases stroke risks in people of all ages

COVID-19 and Immune Dysregulation 

The Whitehouse: Let’s Clear The Air On COVID

CDC: Protect Your Child from COVID