Beautiful young parents and their cute little daughter are smiling while choosing school stationery in the supermarket. Girl is pointing


Meaningful school moments, like read-a-thons and field trips, create lasting memories for children and strengthen connections between students, parents, and caregivers. Yet families often miss out on these special occasions due to unexpected illnesses and the need to reserve personal time off (PTO) for sick days. In fact, 78 percent of parents who missed an important school-day event did so because they had already used their available PTO when their child was home sick.

To help families stay present for the moments that matter most, Lysol, part of the Reckitt family of consumer brands, is launching the HERE for Healthy Schools: Quality Time Off (QTO) Grant in collaboration with National PTA, the nation's oldest and largest child advocacy association. As an extension of Lysol's HERE for Healthy Schools initiative, launched in 2019, the grant reinforces the brand's commitment to helping reduce the spread of illness-causing germs in classrooms nationwide.

This campaign comes at a time when widespread outbreaks are impacting the health and safety of children across the U.S. Out of the current 2,231 measles cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50 percent were contracted by children ages five to 19. With summer coming to a close, facility cleaning managers and building service contractors will need to prioritize greater infection prevention measures.

To that end, Lysol is partnering with Grammy Award-winning singer, actress, producer, mother, and PTA advocate Kelly Rowland, to share why disinfecting wipes are a must-have item for back-to-school lists. According to an industry survey, 75 percent of respondents feel safer with the availability of these ready-to-use tools.

From July 13 to July 24, 2026, PTAs at high-need elementary schools serving grades K-6 can apply for the QTO Grant through National PTA's website at PTA.org/QTO. Five schools will be selected to receive targeted funding for in-school family activities and in-kind product donations through Kids In Need Foundation.

With 75 percent of parents proactively sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces to help prevent the spread of illness-causing germs, students can spend more time learning, connecting, and participating in important school moments. Moreover, when a school's cleaning system implements targeted surface disinfection protocols, it can lead to a 50 percent reduction in student absenteeism due to illness. The numbers don't lie—cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting are imperative to safeguarding staff and students.

Alongside the QTO grant, Lysol will donate a pack of Lysol Disinfecting Wipes to a classroom in need through Kids In Need Foundation for every pack purchased between July 1 through August 31. This initiative aims to protect up to 60 million students from germ transmission via surfaces in high-need schools.

"Back-to-school season is filled with moments that help shape a child's school year," says Mike Hartman, Vice President, Lysol. "When illness keeps students home unexpectedly, parents and students can miss out on making those pivotal memories. Through the QTO Grant and our Buy One, Give One initiative, Lysol is helping keep students present for meaningful learning opportunities."

Learn how to apply for the QTO Grant here.