COVID-19 Testing At-Home Test: What Parents/Guardians Need to Know About This Voluntary Option

Dear Parent or Guardian, 

Winter Break will be starting soon for our students. Many families will be traveling or spending time with family members and friends this year. This holiday season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using a self-test before joining indoor gatherings with others who are not in your household, or if you live with someone at higher risk for severe COVID-19.

You never know if the people you are mixing with may have COVID-19 but are asymptomatic, or who is vaccinated and who is not. The best way to know you or your child’s COVID status for sure is for you to get tested. At-home tests are a great option to use.    

Through a collaboration between the Colonial School District and the Delaware Department of Public Health (DDPH), your child will be receiving one free COVID-19 At-Home Test. This kit can be used at home by the parent/caregiver to test your child if they are sick, have been exposed to someone with a positive result, or have traveled out of state during Winter Break. This is a tool to use at home to help keep our children and staff safe and well.  

The test your child receives may indicate they are expired however the FDA has extended expiration dates for many COVID-19 At-Home Tests. Please go to the following website for updated expiration dates. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#:~:text=The%20expiration%20date%20is%20set,the%20test%20was%20first%20authorized.

You will find instructions in the box to guide you on how to properly perform the test. Please follow DDPH guidelines for positive results.  These guidelines can be found at 

https://www.doe.k12.de.us/cms/lib/DE01922744/Centricity/Domain/600/ISO_QT_Infrographic_8.18.22.pdf

You can also find a testing location near you by visiting  https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/testing/