Educational childcare services in the context of viral respiratory infections including COVID-19

A child who has a fever before leaving home must stay at home and must not attend childcare. The child may return to childcare when the fever has gone and he or she is well enough to take part in the group’s activities.

If a child develops a fever while at childcare, the parents or people responsible may be asked to collect the child from childcare.

A child with other symptoms of a respiratory infection (cough, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion) but no fever may attend childcare if he or she is well enough to take part in the group’s activities. Adults must wear a mask while in contact with the child, and must wash their hands with water and soap or disinfect their hands regularly with a hydroalcoholic solution.

A staff member who has symptoms of a respiratory infection (fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion) must take all the necessary steps for limiting the spread of respiratory infectious diseases and, for the ten-day period after symptoms first appear:

• stay at home in the case of a fever
• wear a mask in the case of a cough, sore throat or nasal congestion

A home educational childcare provider who has a fever cannot receive children in the home.

A home educational childcare provider who has other symptoms of a respiratory infection (fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion) must take all the necessary steps to limit the spread of infectious respiratory diseases and, for the ten-day period after symptoms first appear, must wear a mask if he or she has a cough, sore throat or nasal congestion.

If a person living in the home where childcare is provided has a fever, the home educational childcare provider may receive children as long as the private portion of the home is fully separated from the portion in which childcare is provided.

Distribution of rapid tests by childcare centres

Childcare centres may distribute rapid tests to parents. For questions concerning the distribution and supply of rapid tests, please see How to get COVID-19 rapid screening tests and contact your region’s CIUSSS or CISSS.