Learn how Ontario will keep children, parents and staff safe
EarlyON Child and Family Centres remain closed as part of provincially mandated actions to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Families are invited to participate in virtual programming offered by their local EarlyON Child and Family Centres on Facebook.
As part of the enhanced health and safety measures for reopening, licensees are required to:
Before they reopen, all child care centres, before and after school programs, and EarlyON Child and Family Centres, and First Nation Child and Family Programs must:
Review our Child Care Manual (Fifth Edition) for requirements that must be met in child care facilities to ensure the individuals who use them stay safe and healthy.
Talk to a public health professional Monday to Friday, 9:15 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Active screening is the best line of defence for preventing COVID-19 in school or child care.
The Ontario Ministry of Health has updated the COVID-19 school and child care screening tool, mainly the type and number of symptoms needed for a child to stay home for a period of time and seek medical advice. Learn about symptoms and next steps.
For more information, see our frequently asked questions about COVID-19.
For questions about child care and financial assistance, connect with a Children's Services staff member.
People who need an assessment for testing based on their symptom(s) are not permitted to return to school, child care, or go to any public setting until one of the following criteria is met:
Failed screens, absences, and every serious occurrence report don't need to be reported to Niagara Region Public Health.
This policy overrides the Operational Guidance During Covid-19 Outbreak Child Care Reopening Guidelines for reporting suspect cases.
Call Niagara Region Public Health to report confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Call Niagara Region Public Health to report suspect cases proactively (before test results are back) if staff or children are symptomatic (have symptoms) AND they have had exposure.
An exposure is:
Don't report staff or children who are symptomatic and going for testing without any known exposure even if a serious occurrence report is completed.
Call Public Health when you suspect an outbreak. As per the Child Care Manual, an outbreak may be in effect when there are two or more children or staff, who attend the same child care setting, with similar signs and symptoms that:
In addition to a failed screen, exclusion from child care applies to those who:
Any child or staff who develop symptoms of COVID-19:
An outbreak may be declared by Public Health when, within a 14-day period, there are two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in children, staff / providers or other visitors with an epidemiological link where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the child care setting. Examples of an epidemiological link include cases in the same room or cases that are part of the same before / after school care cohort.
Surveillance testing
Individuals who have no symptoms, went for testing, have no exposure, are awaiting results, and haven't been told by Niagara Region Public Health to isolate, don't need to be excluded from child care.
Refer to the Province of Ontario to review COVID-19 cases in schools and child care centres. This page is updated every weekday at 10:30 a.m. by the Province with the most up-to-date COVID-19 information available, including a summary of cases in schools and licensed child care centres and agencies.
Previously, licensees were required to report all suspected cases of COVID-19 to the ministry. Currently, licensees only need to report the following as a serious occurrence to the ministry:
Regulatory changes to O. Reg. 137/15 have been made under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, including serious occurrence reporting of confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19.
Don't notify Public Health for every serious occurrence report unless it meets the criteria under 'When to contact Public Health'.
A serious occurrence report must be submitted under the category suspected / confirmed case of COVID-19 when one of the following individuals has a confirmed case of COVID-19 OR a suspected case involving the individual showing one or more symptoms AND the individual has been tested, or has indicated that they will be tested for COVID-19
When a serious occurrence is reported for a suspected case (as defined above) and the individual's test results are positive, licensees must update the original serious occurrence report submitted and add this information.
If a second individual develops a suspected or confirmed case, and there is still an open serious occurrence report, licensees must update the existing / open serious occurrence report to add this information. A new serious occurrence isn't required when there's an existing report.
However, where a second individual develops a suspected or confirmed case and there isn't an open serious occurrence report under this category, the licensee must submit a new report.
Should the entire child care centre, part of the child care, such as a program room, or a home child care provider's home close due to a "confirmed or suspected case", a separate serious occurrence for an unplanned disruption of service isn't required. Licensees must include this information in the serious occurrence report and / or update the serious occurrence report when the closure occurs.