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Health and Safety

Updated Health & Safety Measures

As always, we put safety first to protect our families and staff.  

The health and safety of your child has never been more top-of-mind for you, and for us. Rest assured, when your child is in our program (pandemic or not) all Champions teachers and staff are trained on health and safety practices we’ve developed to set a new standard in child care.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to follow the latest guidance from medical advisors, state and local health departments, and the CDC.

To learn more about what to expect at your location, contact your site director. The site director will be able to share the most current and accurate community or school-specific guidelines regarding daily drop-off and pick-up, masking, quarantining, and more. 

Find current news and resources about getting your family vaccinated against COVID-19.

Still need your vaccine? Curious about vaccines for kids? Find vaccination resources by state here.  

Know when to keep your child home.

Stay home if you’re sick. If you or your child has felt unwell or displayed signs of COVID-19, we ask that all household members stay home until they’ve been symptom-free without medication for at least 24 hours (in some sites, 48-72 hours. Check with your site director for your location’s policy). Champions sites will be open to well individuals only. 

Pick-up and Drop-off

  • Same person drop-off and pick-up: Families are asked to assign one family member for drop off and pick-up to minimize exposure to multiple people. We require all adults and children ages 5 and up to wear a mask to pick-up or drop-off at our program, regardless of vaccination status. We also strongly recommend children ages 2-4 wear masks if possible, and some states might require masks for younger children. Please contact your location’s site director to learn the specific drop-off and pick-up protocols for your program.
  • Wellness checks: We monitor staff wellness throughout the day. All staff will be asked to take their own temperature each day upon arrival and must be fever-free before entering Champions. When parents arrive at check-in, we’ll ask them to attest to their child’s wellness. 
  • Health screenings: Parents and staff will answer some health screening questions at drop-off, and we will monitor staff members' and students' health throughout the day.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  • Masks for adults: We require all adults to wear a mask at our program including during drop-off and pick-up.
  • Masks for kids: We believe that wearing masks is a key way to keep people safe and healthy. As such, we require that everyone five and up wear a mask in our programs. In some states, masks may be required for younger ages. We strongly recommend that children age 2-4 wear masks unless there is a specific reason they are unable to.

At Our Sites

  • Restricted classroom access. To minimize potential exposure, we ask that families not walk children into the site. Instead, please check in with staff, and they’ll escort your child to our program. Champions sites will be reserved for teachers and children only. 
  • Cleanliness. Toys, books, craft materials, and other high-touch surfaces will be routinely disinfected and rotated. We will pause the use of sensory tables, play dough, large pillows or stuffed animals, and other materials that are difficult to clean.
  • Sick space: Champions programs will have a dedicated space where teachers can care for sick children while being separated from others until a family member can come to pick them up.
  • Social distancing: We social distance as much as we can throughout the day, particularly when children are interacting with people who are not regularly in their classroom and during meal times and nap times when the mask is unable to be worn.
  • Stable Group structure: To limit potential exposure, we’ve implemented a “Stable Group” structure where students are grouped in small numbers to stay separated from others. Unvaccinated staff will stay within their assigned Stable Group each day to minimize cross-contamination. Fully vaccinated teachers may support more than one Stable Group depending on the staffing situation at the site.
  • Site Staff Absence Protocol: To protect the integrity of our program's Stable Group structure, and to make sure student and staff safety is prioritized, if a staff member cannot make it to Champions (due to illness or otherwise), we will attempt to bring in a substitute staff member from the same Stable Group or ask the site director to teach the class.
  • Class closures: As a last resort, we might need to close Champions if there are no appropriate staff members available to lead the group. We are working to recruit more part-time staff and substitutes for each Stable Group to avoid closures.
  • Meals and snacks: Students will eat together, but will not be serving themselves or sharing food. Students will maintain social distance while unmasked during snack time.

Outdoor Fun

  • On the playground: Outdoor play structures will be utilized by one Stable Group at a time, with increased time between play to allow for thorough cleaning of all surfaces.
  • Field trips and events: There will be no site-wide events or trips, but classes may participate in either trips or events if there is no close contact with students from other Stable Groups or the public. In some sites, trips and events could be cancelled or postponed until further notice.

Healthy Habits

  • Handwashing and sanitizing: Everyone who enters the Champions site will need to wash their hands, and we’ll continue to integrate 20-second handwashing into the curriculum. Hand sanitizer will also be available throughout the site.
  • Covering coughs and sneezes: We will continue to model and teach students how to safely cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or elbows. We will help students remember to wash their hands after touching their face or covering their coughs and sneezes.
  • Travel: Please pay close attention to the CDC’s guidance around coronavirus protocols and travel to specific regions. If you travel to regions of concern, you will need to follow CDC guidance for quarantining yourself and your family before returning to KinderCare.
  • Testing and vaccinations: We require weekly COVID-19 testing for all unvaccinated staff. We’re working with each of our unvaccinated teachers and staff members to make sure their weekly testing is performed accurately and thoroughly, and that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 remains out of the program until they’re back to full health.

Please reach out to your site director for specific protocols in your area or if you any questions about our health and safety measures. We’re all in this together!

Frequently Asked Questions 

If you have further questions, please visit our FAQ page.