Child Care Health Resource Library

Caring for Our Children (CFOC) is a set of national standards that represent the best practices — based on evidence, expertise, and experience — for quality health and safety policies and practices in early care and education settings. CFOC Basics represents the minimum health and safety standards required in Head Start and is a subset of the CFOC national standards. Explore this collection to learn more about these important resources.

The full text of Caring for Our Children (575 pages) is available for free as a PDF or can be purchased as a printed book. 

Update October 2025: Caring For Our

King County's Child Care Health Program presents up-to-date vaccine requirements and guidance for children in child care settings, aligned with Washington State regulations. The webpage includes immunization schedules, compliance guidelines, and resources to support providers in maintaining a healthy environment.

King County's Child Care Health Program shares a monthly newsletter featuring health and safety updates for child care providers. Each newsletter includes practical tips, policy changes, and seasonal guidance to support children's well-being in care settings.

King County's Child Care Health Program presents guidance on safe and effective toothbrushing practices in child care settings to promote oral health that includes tips on hygiene, supervision, and preventing the spread of germs during group brushing routines.

Downloadable PDFs are available in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), English, Oromo, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. 

King County's Child Care Health Program presents guidance for child care providers on keeping children safe during extreme weather conditions. It includes tips for monitoring weather alerts, adjusting outdoor activities, and protecting children's health through downloadable PDFs and videos.

Downloadable posters available in Amharic, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), English, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. 

All children ages 0 to 18 in Washington can receive all routinely recommended vaccines at no cost from a healthcare provider that participates in the Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP). You may be charged an administration fee (a charge for delivering the vaccine), but you don’t have to pay if you can’t afford it. There are about 300 CVP providers in King County, and most require that a child enrolls as a patient to get services.

Adults who are uninsured can also access vaccines at no cost. 

King County's Child Care Health Program presents guidance on protecting children from toxic substances in soil, such as arsenic and lead, which can pose health risks through ingestion or inhalation. It offers practical tips for reducing exposure both indoors and outdoors, emphasizing hygiene, nutrition, and safe play environments.

Tip: Webpage can be machine translated using the globe icon in the top right corner of the page.