Hand washing is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of germs in child care. When washing hands, it is important to scrub for a full 20 seconds. Many children forget to wash their hands for this long. Teaching children in a child care setting to sing a “hand washing song” while they wash is a good way to help them measure if they have been scrubbing long enough.
The following are a few examples of hand …
As children begin to use the toilet, bathroom safety becomes especially important. Because there are many potential safety hazards in the bathroom, child care providers need to supervise bathroom use carefully. As children reach the preschool years and beyond, child care providers can also help children stay safe in the bathroom by teaching them how to identify and avoid risks.
Most toddlers and preschoolers are not developmentally ready to be left in the bathroom alone because they …
Keeping children of all ages safe and healthy is one of the most important tasks of child care providers. Whether children are in center- or home-based care, providers are responsible for ensuring safety both inside and outside their child care setting.
Health and safety are major concerns for child care providers when transporting children. They should be prepared to prevent injuries and illnesses to handle emergencies. The following articles have more specific information and tips for keeping children healthy and …
Because children in child care spend so much time together, it’s not unusual for germs to spread. Child care providers can reduce the spread of common illnesses by using simple precautions like thorough hand washing and keeping surfaces and toys clean. Child care programs can also help prevent the spread of illnesses by requiring immunizations and by developing rules to exclude children with specific symptoms. The following articles will help child care providers, directors, and parents keep children …
Keeping the child care environment clean is one of the best ways to help ensure that children stay healthy. Dirty toys, bedding, linens, eating utensils, and surfaces can carry and spread germs. Regular disinfecting should be a part of the routine in a child care setting.
Getting things clean and reducing the spread of germs requires two different steps:
Safe storing, preparing, and serving of foods is just as important in child care programs as serving a balanced diet. Many children and adults get sick from eating foods that are not properly handled. It’s important to follow food safety guidelines carefully whenever you buy, store, prepare, or serve food. Guidelines for food safety begin with food purchasing and continue through storing, preparing, serving, and cleaning up afterwards.
Whether you are a cook in a large child care center, or …
Encouraging safe exploration is an important job for child care providers. Children are natural explorers and risk takers. They move quickly, put things in their mouths, drop or throw things, and love to climb and hide. Keeping children safe is crucial. But setting up an environment where you spend all day saying “Don’t touch this!” or “Stay away from that!” is not the answer. Instead of spending your time redirecting children, think carefully about how you set up the environment. …
Preventing the spread of germs is a challenge in child care programs. A solution of household bleach and water is an inexpensive and easy way to disinfect surfaces and sanitize objects in child care programs. But child care providers need to be careful to use bleach correctly to ensure that children are safe and surfaces are properly disinfected or sanitized.
In early 2013, manufacturers of household bleach changed the concentration of bleach sold …
From time to time, children may need to take medications while in child care. Child care directors and providers must be careful to handle medications properly and to ensure that children receive the appropriate dose of the right medicine at the right time. Here are some guidelines for giving medications to children in a child care setting.
