Staff at the ECEC were made aware today, Wednesday, June 10, that a child at the Early Childhood Education Center has a confirmed case of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Click here to read the full letter that was printed for families in the impacted classroom, sent as a broadcast to all families with enrolled ECEC students, and is available to read at our front office.

Updated June 9, 2026
This is an update to a notice we broadcast to families March 25 regarding an unknown substance found in an adult restroom and sent in for testing by the Salt River Police Department, which also investigated by reviewing security footage and interviewing staff and visitors. The test results came back showing the substance had traces of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid often used in prescription pain medications.

We will host two FAMILY MEETINGS (both in the Gathering Place) to review ECEC safety and cleaning policies and provide medication handling and storage tips for families. ECEC leaders, as well as leaders from partner departments, will be available to address your concerns. The same information/resources will be provided at both meetings. We will also offer a resource table during our Read to Grow Literacy Event at 3:30 p.m. on June 23 at 3:30 p.m.

• Monday, June 22: Pick-up (PM)
• Tuesday, June 23: Drop-off (AM)

The health and safety of children and staff are our top priority at the ECEC and Salt River Schools. ECEC staff are trained by Safe Schools & Security to be vigilant throughout the day, including monitoring the locked doors to adult-only areas and performing regular campus walkthroughs. Our custodial and Public Works crews are also trained to look out for potential dangers. When an unknown substance is found, our protocol is to immediately report the incident, safely collect any evidence, and have the area/campus deep cleaned. In this situation, the ECEC collaborated with SRPD, Security, Public Works, and Human Resources. We are also working with Health and Human Services to ensure our staff and families have the most updated information, training, and resources regarding medication handling and storage and overdose prevention.

We need your help to keep the ECEC campus free and safe from substances that could harm children or staff. Do not bring medication to campus with you; check pockets and anything you may be carrying for items, such as loose pills, before entering our spaces. Prescription and/or over-the-counter medications, and even vitamins may be harmful to others.

Salt River Schools and the ECEC have a zero-tolerance drug policy. If you see something suspicious, report it to law enforcement. Furthermore, if you or someone you know is experiencing issues with addiction, please call the 24/7 Behavioral Health Services Crisis Line at 480-850-9230. We also recommend these medication safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

If you have any questions or concerns, call the ECEC at 480-362-2200.

Updated June 5, 2026
Staff at the ECEC were made aware today, Friday, June 5, that a child at the Early Childhood Education Center has a confirmed case of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Click here to read the full letter that was printed for families in the impacted classroom, sent as a broadcast to all families with enrolled ECEC students, and is available to read at our front office.

Updated May 29, 2026
The Early Childhood Education Center will undergo deep cleaning after two classrooms each found what we suspect are bed bugs; one bug was found in each classroom. While we do not consider this an infestation, we understand the presence of even two bed bugs has the potential to lead to more; to be proactive, our excellent custodial team will deep clean our entire campus. We have notified parents in the impacted classrooms directly, but we also want to inform all ECEC families to ensure everyone receives the information below. 

Bed bugs are a nuisance, but they are not known to cause or spread disease. They tend to be active at night and their bite can be painless initially but may become swollen and itch like a mosquito bite. The source of bed bugs is difficult to determine as they can be found in many places, including restaurants, movie theaters, or churches.

Here are some things you can do at home:

• Get rid of clutter
• Vacuum frequently including mattresses and furniture
• Steam clean
• Seal cracks
• Use zippered mattress covers
• Wash/dry clothes and linens on the highest heat the fabrication can stand for 60 minutes. Anything that cannot be washed should be dried on high heat for 20 to 30 minutes.

Signs of infestation include presence of live bugs, dark, rusty colored droppings, blood stains from crushed bed bugs, present of eggs or casings and offensive, sweet musty odor. If you are experiencing these symptoms, we recommend you get professional help. You cannot get rid of bed bugs by yourself. Contact your healthcare provider for proper care and treatment of bed bug bites.

If you have any questions regarding bed bugs found in your home, contact the Maricopa County Health Department at 602-372-2754, visit www.maricopa.gov/6259/Bed-Bugs or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/bed-bugs. Or, call the ECEC at 480-362-2200.

Updated May 28, 2026
Staff at the ECEC were made aware today, May 28, that a child at the Early Childhood Education Center has a confirmed case of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Click here to read the full letter that was printed for families in the impacted classroom, sent as a broadcast to all families with enrolled ECEC students, and is available to read at our front office.

Updated May 15, 2026
Staff at the ECEC were made aware today, May 15, that a child at the Early Childhood Education Center has a confirmed case of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Click here to read the full letter that was printed for families in the impacted classroom, sent as a broadcast to all families with enrolled ECEC students, and is available to read at our front office.

Updated April 27, 2026
Staff at the ECEC were made aware today, April 27, that a child at the Early Childhood Education Center has a confirmed case of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Click here to read the full letter that was printed for families in the impacted classroom, sent as a broadcast to all families with enrolled ECEC students, and is available to read at our front office.

Updated April 22, 2026
Staff at the ECEC were made aware today, April 22, that three children have confirmed cases of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Click here to read the full letter that was printed for families in the impacted classroom, sent as a broadcast to all families with enrolled ECEC students, and is available to read at our front office.

This is a great opportunity to review our Hand-Foot-and-Mouth info page, which includes great tips on how to keep children healthy and what to do if you suspect your child has Hand-Foot-and-Mouth.

Updated April 20, 2026
The Salt River Fire Department was called to the Early Childhood Education Center Monday, April 20, at 5:42 p.m. after a child pulled the alarm. After ensuring there was no fire emergency on campus, authorities left at 5:47 p.m. ECEC staff talk with children about the importance of respecting emergency property; we also encourage families to do so at home. Click here for a good resource from the Centers for Disease Control about talking to children about emergencies. If you have any questions, please talk to your child's teacher or call the ECEC at 480-362-2200.

Updated April 16, 2026
Staff at the ECEC were made aware today, April 16, that a child here has a confirmed case of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Click here to read the full letter that was printed for families in the impacted classroom, sent as a broadcast to all families with enrolled ECEC students, and is available to read at our front office.

Updated April 13, 2026
The Early Childhood Education Center was recently made aware of three students with confirmed cases of contagious illnesses: Two students have confirmed cases of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease, and one student as a case of influenza, also known as the flu. 

The ECEC sent home copies of these letters and has them available at the front desk; the letters have detailed information about these diseases and what symptoms to look for. Click here to read the parent letter and learn more about Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease; and click here to read the parent letter and learn more about influenza.

Updated 3/25/26
This notice is to inform you of an incident that occurred on campus today (3/25/26) that required the presence and coordination of our Safe Schools & Security team and the Salt River Police Department. Click here to read the letter that we broadcast to families and have available at the ECEC front desk.

What happened: Custodial staff found an unknown substance while cleaning an adult restroom on campus and immediately reported it to security and police. Police arrived, removed the substance, and sent it for testing. Results will not be available for a minimum of 4-6 weeks. This is now under investigation by law enforcement; therefore, no other details can be shared.

While this incident had no impact to ECEC children or their learning day, your child’s safety is our top priority, and we are taking this matter seriously. After police removed the substance, the adult restroom was cleaned and sanitized by custodial staff. The Safe Schools & Security team will review protocols on reporting an unknown substance. We applaud the quick actions of the custodial team to follow protocol and report suspicious activity that could pose a risk to staff and/or students.

Like the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and Salt River Schools, the ECEC has a zero tolerance drug policy. If you see something suspicious, please report it to law enforcement. Furthermore, if you or someone you know is experiencing issues with addiction, we encourage you to call the 24/7 Behavioral Health Services Crisis Line at 480-850-9230. Behavioral Health is located in the River People Health Center. Click here to learn more.

Published 3/24/26
Staff at the ECEC were recently made aware that a child at the ECEC has or is suspected of having Respiratory Syncytial Virus, also known as RSV. RSV is a virus that causes the common cold and other respiratory signs or symptoms; RSV is most common in winter and early spring, but can occur year-round.

This message is to inform you about RSV and the related exclusion and return-to-care practices at our facility. Without violating anyone’s confidentiality, the facts you need to know about your child's possible exposure in this situation are below.

What are the symptoms of RSV?

• Cold-like signs or symptoms for most children.
• Very young infants may exhibit irritability, poor feeding, and/or lethargy (over sleepy, drowsy). An infant may also turn blue with cough or experience brief periods of no breathing (cyanosis).
• Respiratory problems may include a wheezing sound while breathing and/or pneumonia.
• Children with weakened immune systems, prematurity, or heart/lung problems have greater difficulty when ill with this infection
  How does RSV spread?
• Direct or close contact with mouth or nose secretions.
• The virus can live on surfaces for many hours and 30 minutes or more on hands.
• Before signs or symptoms appear, the infected person starts to shed virus that may infect others.

How do you control it?

• Practice good handwashing at all times (before/after eating, after diapering/using bathroom, etc).
• Prevent contact with respiratory secretions. Teach children to cover their nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing with a disposable facial tissue, if possible.
• Dispose of used facial tissues and wash hands.

Is my child excluded from group settings? NO, unless:

• Child exhibits rapid or labored breathing or turns blue when coughing.
• Child is unable to participate and staff determine they cannot care for the child without compromising their ability to care for the health and safety of other children in the group.
• The child has a fever.

When can my child be readmitted to group settings? When exclusion criteria are resolved, the child is able to participate, and staff determine they can care for the child without compromising their ability to care for the health and safety of other children in the group.

If you have any other questions, please call the ECEC at 480-362-2200.