Protecting the health and safety of our center communities will always be Bright Horizons’ highest priority. Bright Horizons serves one of the most vulnerable populations: children under the age of 12, the majority still not currently eligible for vaccination. Bright Horizons has always operated its child care centers with stringent health and hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, and illness exclusion policies because regular health and hygiene practices provide some of the best defenses against the spread of contagious illnesses. In response to the increased challenges of COVID-19, Bright Horizons implements additional, layered prevention strategies designed to protect our children, families and staff and keep our centers open safely to provide consistent care. These additional layers incorporate enhanced health and hygiene protocols such as daily screening of staff, children and their respective households for COVID-19 symptoms and exposures, strict exclusion policies for any household that cannot pass the daily health screen, and frequent cleaning and disinfection of high touch areas. Bright Horizons staff (regardless of vaccination status) are required to wear surgical masks indoors providing another critical layer of protection for both our staff and the children in their care. In addition, Bright Horizons requires all staff members who are not fully vaccinated to participate in a weekly COVID-19 testing protocol, while continuing its campaign to encourage COVID-19 vaccination. In our childcare setting, where some measures cannot be used (e.g. strict social distancing) using these layered prevention strategies is the most effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19. This approach is informed by guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the American Association of Pediatrics, state and local authorities, current scientific evidence and the lessons we have learned implementing COVID-19 prevention strategies.