![]() ![]() In order to safely keep children and adolescents in school, the following must happen: All federal, state, and local policies must prioritize children and schools. The AAP is committed to continuing to advocate for (1) using science to make local and state decisions to protect our communities from COVID-19 (2) combating disinformation and misinformation (3) prioritizing in-person learning by continuing support for schools to implement recommended health and safety measures and (4) creating policies that put the well-being of children and adolescents first, including children and youth who are immunocompromised or have a disability. 3 Families rely on schools to provide a safe, stimulating and enriching space for children to learn appropriate supervision of children opportunities for socialization and universal support to cope with crisis and loss associated with the pandemic. Schools provide our children and adolescents with academic instruction, social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition, physical/occupational/speech therapy, mental health services, health services, oral health care and opportunities for physical activity, among other benefits. However, schools and school-supported programs are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being. The risk may be greater for individuals and families who are not vaccinated. ![]() 1,2 Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools can still occur. Schools do not significantly increase community transmission, especially when guidance outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is followed. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for safe in-person learning since its original COVID-19 school guidance released on June 24, 2020. Remote learning exacerbated existing educational inequities, was detrimental to educational attainment and drastically worsened the growing mental health crisis among children and adolescents. One of the most critical lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of in-person school. ![]() While some of the challenges that characterized the initial phase of the pandemic have eased in their intensity, such as the need for quarantine and physical isolation, continued guidance on the effects of and response to the virus and the pandemic is needed. The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created profound challenges for communities, families and individuals. ![]()
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