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Child Care Health

Welcome to the Child Care Health Section

Contact Us:  Telephone:  402-441-8023  ~ Fax: 402-441-6206  ~ TTYNE Relay 7-1-1  ~  Hours: 8:00 - 4:30 M-F

We work to support local child care settings in achieving healthy and safe practices. We believe in not only preventing injuries and the spread of infectious diseases, but in creating the best possible environments in which children can grow.

The materials on the website are designed to be distributed and used in a variety of settings by both child care professionals and families.

The Lincoln Municipal Code 8.14 affecting child care centers was revised in December 2016. New requirements for child care centers were added. Companion documents have been developed to assist early childhood professionals meet the code requirements.

About Us

The Child Care Health Program is part of the Environmental Public Health Division of the Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD). Our Program permits and annually inspects Child Care Centers (providing care for 13 or more children). LLCHD does not regulate Nebraska State licensed Child Care Homes up to 12 children.

Our Child Care Health Consultant works with child care centers within Lincoln and Lancaster County to review, develop and implement health and safety policies and procedures through:

  • Educational Resources
  • Policies & Procedures
  • Posters

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Most Requested Information

Featured Links

Child Care Health & Safety Training

Office Hours:  8:00 - 4:30 M-F
Telephone:  402-441-8023
Fax:  402-441-6206
TTYNE Relay 7-1-1

Before a certificate of compliance shall be issued or renewed by the Health Director, the operator shall submit verification for the operator and all staff of completion of training approved by the Health Director. Such training shall be completed before a certificate of compliance is issued and shall be completed every two years thereafter before a renewal certificate of compliance is issued. At a minimum, such training shall include a total of two hours in the following subjects: illness prevention and exclusion, injury prevention and safe environments, safe food handling, cleaning, sanitization, disinfection, and the requirements of this chapter. Newly hired staff shall receive training within thirty days of employment.

Health & Safety Training Schedule

LLCHD offers health and safety training every month, typically on the first Wednesday at 1:00 PM and third Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Confirm dates and times on the training schedule.

Staff Training Log(PDF, 21KB)

Each child care program is responsible for tracking and documenting staff training requirements. A copy of the LLCHD Child Care Health and Safety training certificate and the Prep/Cook Food Handler Permit should be on file. A staff training log(DOCX, 28KB)  should also be maintained and available for the LLCHD Environmental Health Specialist to review during inspections.

Food Handler Training

Any person responsible for receiving or holding Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food, or any person preparing food shall hold a Prep/Cook, Restricted/Shift Manager Food Handler, or Food protection Manager Permit issued per Lincoln Municipal Code Chapter 8.20, the Lincoln Food Code. Any person only serving foods shall practice no bare hand contact in accordance with Lincoln Municipal Code Section 8.20.070 Preventing Contamination from hands.

Child Care Transportation Training

Nebraska Child Care Center Regulation 3-006.10C requires child care staff who transport children attend the three-hour Child Care Transportation Training. This Nebraska Child Care Center requirement was implemented May 20, 2013. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that child care staff is able to properly install and use child passenger safety seats in the child care center’s vehicle. To register, download this Registration Form.

Child Care Resources

Office Hours:  8:00 - 4:30 M-F
Telephone:  402-441-8023
Fax:  402-441-6206
TTYNE Relay 7-1-1

Health and safety in the early childhood setting requires policies and procedures that are up-to-date with current standards and regulations. Our resources are designed to assist early childhood professionals reduce illness and injury in the child care setting.

COVID-19 Resources

 

Assessments

Assessments help child care professionals evaluate facility policies and procedures and guide future program development. Assessments may be conducted by the child care health consultant in conjunction with the facility director or done as a self-assessment to improve program practices. Contact us for more information on assessment opportunities.

Policies & Procedures

Policies & Procedures are developed with the goal to prevent illness and injury in the early care setting. A variety of health and safety resources are available to guide child care professionals in the development of program policies.

Posters

Posters provide visual information and reminders for the child care setting. They provide health and safety guidance, such as step-by-step instructions on proper diapering.

Templates, Logs, & Forms

Templates, Logs, & Forms are provided to assist you with the written documentation needed to safely care for young children in early care and education settings.

Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets are written for child care professionals and parents with a focus on health and safety topics that frequently arise in early care settings.

Body Fluid Clean Up

Standard Response Protocol (SRP)

Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is an action based plan designed to help you respond to any emergency situation. The premise is simple - there are four specific actions that can be performed during an incident. The Action Plan is followed by all participants, including students, staff, and first responders. The Action Plan is followed by all participants, including students, staff, and first responders.  To assist you with your emergency response plan, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department and Lincoln Littles has created a tutorial video about the Emergency Childhood Notification System and implementing SRP into your emergency plan.

Childcare SRP Quick Reference Flyer(PDF, 234KB)

Child Comfort Kits(PDF, 182KB)

Extended Shelter Supplies(PDF, 180KB)

How to Build an Emergency Kit(PDF, 249KB)

Tips for Families.pdf(PDF, 115KB)

SRP PK2 Workbook.pdf(PDF, 3MB)

SRP Parent Handout(PDF, 289KB)

Child Emergency Information Form(PDF, 64KB)

LLCHD Agreement Letter Relocation Site(PDF, 190KB)

Lincoln Child Care Emergency Contacts(PDF, 196KB)

Building a Child Care Emergency “To Go” Kit(PDF, 111KB)

Featured Links

  • Let’s Move Child Care toolkit provides resources for early childhood obesity prevention.

  • Teach A Kid to Fish is a non-profit working to prevent and reduce childhood obesity by empowering Lincoln children and families to eat healthy and be active.
  • Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a reliable source for the latest health, safety, and disease information.
    • Developmental milestones are skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye bye." Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move. Milestones resources from the CDC are designed to help early childhood professionals and parents learn the signs and act early.
    • Immunization Schedules for Adults and Children
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a hazard or can injure children.
    • Product recalls Information on over 5,000 product recalls and recall alerts using the various searches on this page.
  • Safe Kids Lincoln-Lancaster County works to protect kids from their number one killer—unintentional injury. The coalition is comprised of six Task Forces to address priority injury areas including: child passenger safety, child pedestrian and bicycle safety, sports injury prevention, fire & burn prevention, water safety and home safety.
  • California Childcare Health Program (CCHP) CCHP has developed hundreds of educational resources to help early care and education programs stay abreast of best practices. Materials include: Health and Safety Notes; Illness Sheets; Family Fact Sheets; Posters; and Training Curricula.
  • King County Child Care Health Program The Child Care Health website offers health promotion and disease prevention information to child care facilities including health policies, immunizations, communicable disease control, nutrition, child development and child behavioral issues.
  • Penn State Better Kid Care Better Kid Care Provides distance training opportunities and educational information on caring for children.

Child Care Health Consultation Services

Office Hours:  8:00 - 4:30 M-F
Telephone:  402-441-8023
Fax:  402-441-6206
TTYNE Relay 7-1-1

Child Care Health Consultation is available to child care centers in Lincoln-Lancaster County. The Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC) has information, resources and referrals to offer. Through on-site and telephone consultation, health education and technical assistance the CCHC works with individual child care facilities to help create environments that best support the healthy growth and development of young children. The CCHC partners with child care professionals to:

  • Assess the health and safety needs and practices in the child care facility.
  • Establish and review health policies and procedures.
  • Manage and prevent injuries and the spread of infectious diseases.

The Child Care Health Consultant utilizes the National Health and Safety Performance Standards to provide guidance to child care programs. The CCHC is not responsible for regulating child care facilities.

Assessments help child care professionals evaluate facility policies and procedures and guide future program development. Assessments may be conducted by the child care health consultant in conjunction with the facility director or done as a self-assessment to improve program practices. Contact us for more information on assessment opportunities.

Child Care Center Regulations

Office Hours:  8:00 - 4:30 M-F
Telephone:  402-441-8023
Fax:  402-441-6206
TTYNE Relay 7-1-1

Child Care programs serving 13 or more children under the age of 13 years operating within three miles of the Lincoln city limits are required to hold a written license from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and a certificate of compliance issued by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

The Lincoln Municipal Code 8.14 affecting child care centers was revised in December 2016.

Lincoln Municipal Code 8.14: Child Care Programs

Operator and Staff Training Requirements 8.14.035

Injury Reporting

Communicable Diseases Reporting and Illness Exclusion 8.14.100

 

Environmental Safety 8.14.106

Nebraska Child Care Licensing

 

Child Care Center Inspection Checklist

CC_InspectionChecklist.pdf(PDF, 277KB)

Child Care Communicable Disease

Office Hours:  8:00 - 4:30 M-F
Telephone:  402-441-8023
Fax:  402-441-6206
TTYNE Relay 7-1-1

The Communicable Disease Program conducts surveillance of communicable diseases, investigates case reports and disease outbreaks, and implements measures designed to control the spread of communicable disease in the community.

Lincoln Municipal Code 8.14.100 Communicable Diseases Reporting and Illness Exclusion states:
The operator shall report within 24 hours to the Health Director when:

  • (i) three (3) or more children and/or staff in a classroom or group are ill with a reportable communicable disease, diarrhea, or vomiting; or
  • (ii) one (1) child or staff has bloody diarrhea

In an effort to obtain all relevant information and be responsive in a timely manner, LLCHD has developed and online illness reporting system. When reporting an illness as required by the code, please use the online report. You can access the child care illness symptom report by using the link or QR code below.

Online Illness Reporting System Link

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QR Code 

 

Reportable Disease List

 COL-Health-Vert-RGB.png    Lincoln Child Care Center Reportable Disease Requirements

Lincoln Municipal Code 8.14 Communicable Diseases Reporting and Illness Exclusion states:

(a) The operator shall report within 24 hours to the Health Director when:

(i) three (3) or more children and/or staff in a classroom or group are ill with a reportable communicable disease, diarrhea, or vomiting; or
(ii) one (1) child or staff has bloody diarrhea.

(b) The operator shall have a written policy that identifies the circumstances under which children and staff would be excluded from child care due to illness. The operator shall enforce the exclusion policy and make it available to the Health Director, staff, and parents of enrolled children.

The following is a list of the reportable diseases in Nebraska that you are most likely to experience in your child care center. Please contact us for additional information on best policy and practice in your facility.

Illness Fact Sheets

provide specific guidelines to take in the event of a communicable disease outbreak in the Early Childhood Care and Education setting.

Featured Links

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