Schools and Child Care Programs

Florida Schools, Colleges and Universities

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is working closely with the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor COVID-19 and ensure that the most up-to-date CDC guidance is quickly and accurately disseminated.

 

Florida Child Care Programs

Florida Department of Children and Families

Florida Department of Health

  • Florida’s Child Care Food Program (CCFP) will continue to use the available flexibilities and contingencies offered by the United States Department of Agriculture through the 2022-23 school year.
  • USDA waivers have allowed Florida schools to leverage their participation in the USDA’s summer meal program to provide free meals during unexpected closures and circumvent group setting meal requirements.

Find participating CCFP providers in your area.

 

Things Schools and Child Care Programs Should Do Now

At All Times
  • Learn about COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Stay up to date on developments in your community.
  • Post the signs and symptoms of COVID-19: fever, cough, shortness of breath.
  • Encourage people to stay home when sick.
  • Maintain a hygienic environment through regular cleaning.
  • Limit events and meetings that require close contact.
  • Create an emergency plan for a possible outbreak.
During an Outbreak in your Area
  • Send home or separate anyone who becomes sick.
  • If you identify a case, inform people who might have been exposed.
  • Continue to safely clean and disinfect the person’s area.
  • Connect with your local health departments.
  • Put your infectious disease outbreak plan into action.

Read the Surgeon General’s guidance for positive COVID-19 tests and confirmed exposure in a child care facility.

Specific Guidance for Schools and Child Care Programs
  • Learn about COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Repurpose unused or underutilized school spaces to increase classroom space and facilitate physical distancing.
  • Make hand cleaning supplies readily available.
  • Encourage students and staff to stay home if sick.
  • Monitor absenteeism.
  • Work with your local health department for guidance on closures and reopenings.
How do I prevent and prepare for COVID-19?
What do I do if I think I was exposed to COVID-19?
What do I do if I'm sick?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Click here for a list of disinfectant products.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization are reliable and up-to-date sources of information about this evolving outbreak.

For Florida specific information, please consult the Florida Department of Health website.