Schools and Child Care COVID-19
Best Practice Recommendations

Schools, child care, youth programs, and camps should implement layered prevention strategies to the extent possible to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk while also considering educational needs, the social and emotional well-being of children, and the importance of children's access to learning and care.

On this page:
All programs
Schools
    Supplemental guidance for schools
Child care, youth programs, and camps
Additional resources

All programs

The COVID-19 Decision Tree for Schools and Child Care has been retired and is replaced by the isolation and quarantine guides below. These guides reflect current CDC recommendations regarding when to isolate and quarantine and for how long depending on a person's ability to wear a mask consistently.

• COVID-19 Isolation Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming (PDF)
  For people who are sick or test positive.
  3/15/22
  
  Other languages: COVID-19 Isolation Guide

  • COVID-19 Isolation Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Hmong (PDF)
  • COVID-19 Isolation Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Somali (PDF)
  • COVID-19 Isolation Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Spanish (PDF)
• COVID-19 Quarantine Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming (PDF)
  For people who are in close contact (exposed) to a person with COVID-19.
  3/15/22
  
  Other languages: COVID-19 Quarantine Guide

  • COVID-19 Quarantine Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Hmong (PDF)
  • COVID-19 Quarantine Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Somali (PDF)
  • COVID-19 Quarantine Guide for Schools, Child Care, and Youth Programming in Spanish (PDF)

• Best Practices for Handling a Confirmed Case of COVID-19 (PDF)
  Information for schools, child care, youth programs, and camps.
  Updated 3/1/22

Schools

• Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools for the 2021-22 School Year (PDF)
  Strategies to reduce transmission of COVID-19. Using these best practice prevention strategies consistently protects students, teachers, staff, and other members of their households and creates a safer in-person environment.
  Updated 3/10/22
  Key points of the guidance

  • All people ages 5 years and older should get vaccinated for COVID-19 while participating in in-person school, sports, or other activities to protect themselves and people around them who cannot get vaccinated. Talk to a health care provider or Find Vaccine Locations near you.
  • People and communities, including schools, should follow recommendations based on CDC: COVID-19 Community Levels to help inform decisions about masking based on their local context and unique needs.
    • High COVID-19 community level: Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
    • Medium COVID-19 community level: People who are immunocompromised, more likely to develop severe disease, or who have contact with a person who is immunocompromised or more likely to develop severe disease should wear a mask indoors in school/child care settings.
    • Low COVID-19 community level: Schools may choose to implement added prevention as needed in the event of a facility outbreak.
    • At all COVID-19 community levels, people can also choose to wear a mask based on personal preference or personal level of risk. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask when recommended by isolation and quarantine guidance.
  • Schools should maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms whenever possible. When it is not possible to maintain 3 feet of distance between students, it is especially important to layer other prevention strategies.
  • Students, teachers, and staff should stay home if they feel sick and should contact a health care provider for testing and care.
  • Students, teachers, and staff who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines or have tested positive within the last three months do not need to stay home even if they have had recent close contact with a confirmed case so long as they do not have symptoms and do not test positive. Follow CDC testing guidance for anyone exposed to a confirmed case.
  • Schools should encourage ventilation, contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, handwashing, respiratory etiquette, cleaning, and disinfection as important layers of prevention.

  Other languages: Key points of the guidance

  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Amharic (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Arabic (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Chinese (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in French (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Hmong (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Karen (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Lao (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Oromo (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Russian (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Somali (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Spanish (PDF)
  • Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools: Key Messages in Vietnamese (PDF)

Supplemental guidance for schools

• Recommendations for Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Delivering Direct Student Support Services (PDF)
  This document provides strongly recommended practices to school staff on the type of protective equipment that will be needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission when delivering direct student support services.
  Updated 3/24/22
  
  
• Recommendations for Providing Support to Students in Their Homes (PDF)
  This document outlines recommendations for school district staff providing in-home services to meet individual student needs.
  Updated 1/24/22
  
  
• Ventilation Guidance for Schools: COVID-19
  Information for school administrators and facilities managers who are responsible for ventilation in buildings.

Child care, youth programs, and camps

Child care settings will continue to have both vaccinated and unvaccinated people as there is not a vaccine approved for children under 5 years of age available yet. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that child care settings continue to implement layered prevention measures to the extent possible while also considering educational needs, the social and emotional well-being of children, and the importance of children's access to learning and care.

• MDH recommends that child care operators follow CDC: COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care Programs.

• Best Practice Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Youth Programs, Day and Overnight Camps (PDF)
  Recommendations for youth-serving programs.
  Updated 3/24/22

Additional resources

• Infectious Diseases in Childcare Settings and Schools Manual
  Hennepin County infectious disease manual. See section 2 – Guidelines: Environment – Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting.