LearningLog4/27,4/28

Policies to Protect Children

Just as children need warm blankets to protect them from the cold, they also need policies to
guarantee other aspects of their safety and health when they are cared for away from home.
Select one of the safety and health topics to investigate. Read about the topic in your textbooks.
Then write on the blanket a policy for a child care facility to address this topic. Choose from
these topics:
Safety
1.
Supervision
2.
Adult-child ratios

3. Safe environment
Health
1.
Medical examinations for staff
2.
Medical care information for children
3.
Giving medications
4.
Care for mildly ill children
5.
Exclusion of ill children
6.
Sanitary practices
7.
Parent access

Sanitary practices.
At Harleys Day Care, sanitary practices are very important. Everytime you leave the kids or
come into the classroom, you are expected to wash your hands. You have to wash your hands when
you are going to serve them food. When you hand them the food, you must have gloves on. When
the child is done eating at the table, you wash and spray the table. After eating, sweep up under the
table. Children may not pick up food off the floor, or touch the trash can and bring it to the
students, only the staff.
If children need to be changed you have to wear gloves, take the child to the bathroom or
the changing room. If you have a baby in diapers, you have to wipe down the changing table with
sanitary wipes, before and after changing so the next child will have a clean surface to lay on.
If they put the toys in their mouth, you are required to get the toy, put it away from the
other children and clean it before placing it back in the area.
If a child is sick, you are required to take the temperature. You put on gloves and put the
cover piece over the thermometer. After you record the temperature, wipe down the thermometer
with alcohol and wash your hands. If the child has a fever, separate them from other children and
contact the parent.

What Does the Handbook Say?

Using the same safety and health topic that you used for Policies to Protect Children, consult the
NC Child Care Handbook
to find policies that regulate North Carolina child care centers with regard
to your topic. Keep in mind that policies in this handbook are licensing standards that must be met
in order to operate legally as a child care facility. After checking the Handbook, complete this
form.
Your Health or Safety Topic:
Sanitary practices
On what pages did you find statutes/requirements that address this topic? Appendix c
Copy the requirement below as found in the Handbook.
15A NCAC 18A .2803 HANDWASHING (a) Child Care operators shall in struct employees that
handwashing is the single most important line of defense in preventing the transmission of
disease-causing organisms. Employees shall wash hands upon reporting for work before and after
handling food before bottle feeding or serving to other children before handling clean utensils o r
equipment after toileting or handling of body fluids ( e.g., sal iva, nasal secretions, vomitus, feces,
urine, blood, secretions from sores, pustulant discharge) after diaper changing after handling
soiled items such as garbage, mops, cloths and clothing after being outdoors after handling animals
or animal cages and after removing disposable gloves. The use of hand sanitizing products does not
replace the requirement for handwashing. However, except for diapering, food preparation, and
food service, hand sanitizing products may b e used in lieu of handwashing while an employee is
supervising children outdoors if hands are washed upon returning indoors. (b) Children shall wash
hands upon arrival at the child care center after each diaper change or visit to the toilet before
eating meals or snacks before and after water play after outdoor activity and after handling
animals or animal cages. Except for diapering and before eating meals or snacks, hand sanitizing
products may be used in lieu of hand washing while children are outdoors i f hands are washed upon
returning indoors. (c) Handwashing procedures shall include: (1) using liquid soap and tempered
water (2) rubbing hands vigorously with soap and tempered water for 15 seconds (3) washing all
surfaces of the hands, to include the backs of hands, palms, wrists, under fingernails and between
fingers (4) rinsing well for ten seconds (5) drying hands with a paper towel or other hand-drying
device and (6) turning off faucet with a paper towel or other method without recontaminating
hands.

Now, paraphrase the requirement --- i.e., write it in your own words.

This paragraph above is saying that handwashing is very important. You should wash your hands
after doing things in order to keep the children healthy. Even the children should wash their hands.
This includes entering and leaving the classroom, after you take your gloves off, before and after

serving food, before bottle feeding the baby. After changing the baby diaper, after cleaning the
bathroom, if a child is hurt you have to wash before and after. Children have to wash hands before
they eat and after. They have to wash their hands if they are dirty, or sick. Basically wash your
hands no matter what you do because it is very important.

Now, compare the Handbook citation with the policy you wrote in Policies to Protect Children.
How are they similar? How do they differ?

My saying was the same as the book, but just some of the words are different. I know that you
have to wash your hands at all times.

Imagine that you are the director of a child care center. What challenges do you think you might
face in meeting these standards?
I don't think I would have a problem with these rules, and I think that i could keep them safe.
Washing your hands and keeping you healthy no matter what the situation is, you have to wash your
hands to keep yourself clean.