Children and Zika: What Child Care Providers Need to Know

Child care providers have a unique role to play when it comes to being prepared for many types of hazards and emergencies.

During the summer months, children may be with you for extended hours, and by spending more time outdoors and playing outside, children are more susceptible to bug bites and stings. Not only can they be both bothersome and annoying, but they can also make people sick, so it’s important to protect those around you.

You’ve likely heard quite a bit about the Zika virus in recent months and you know that Zika is primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Child Care Aware® of America wants to make sure you know more about Zika and how to prevent mosquito bites while you are outdoors.

Webinar

On June 22, 2016, Child Care of Aware® of America's Emergency Preparedness Team conducted a webinar with experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Children’s Health Team, and Pregnancy and Birth Defects Task Force. The webinar covered various topics, including:

• The basics of the Zika virus (how its spread, signs and symptoms, risk factors)
• The role of child care providers in prevention (mosquito control and repellent guidelines)
• Recommendations for pregnant mothers and parents considering pregnancy

You can view the webinar below.

Additional Resources

Child Care of Aware® of America has additional information about Zika:

Visit our comprehensive Zika blog post "Zika: What Child Care Providers Need to Know"

Also, learn more about the use of mosquito repellents and children in “Fight the Bite of Mosquitoes this Summer“.

Please be sure to check out the Child Care of Aware® of America Emergency Preparedness website for tools and resources related to other emergency preparedness topics.