7. Safe and comfortable sleep/rest for children policy.

SAFE SLEEPING  No-one should smoke in the same room as a child at our centre. It is safe to use a soft toy for comfort if the child requires for the ages of our children at our centre. Mattresses to be used at our centre are not thick and are lightweight. Always place the mattresses away from curtain cords, heaters, and electrical appliances and not near power points. Make sure that there is nothing mounted on the wall that could fall onto the sleeping child.

 Children’s sleep needs are individual and can vary a lot from the average pattern. Any child will be able to rest/ sleep if the child so chooses at anytime. Our routine is such that after lunch a rest/sleep quiet area is provided for children who want to have a rest/sleep. A child may bring a comfort toy, dummy, bottle with water, blankie for sleep time. Families are to provide all cot-sized sheets and pillows for their child’s rest and these must fit into a closed bag for hygienic reasons. The bedding must be taken home to wash regularly and is the responsibility of the family. Blinds may be drawn to eliminate too much light. Soft music will also be played during this time. Each child and their bedding will be arranged top to tail to eliminate distractions and for health reasons.   

Source Govt of SA 1999 from website Child and Youth Health, SA last updated 15 May 2006.

 8. SAFETY

Our aim is

·    To ensure that all children are cared for in a safe environment.

·    To resource parents on safety issues relating to children.

·    To educate staff on correct safety precautions and procedures.

Accident Prevention  Procedures  -  Children

·    Accidents are often directly related to the child's growth and developmental stage, eg.outdoor equipment too high for student’s height. Staff should be aware of the particular hazards recognisable in each stage, and take all precautions necessary to prevent such accidents. It is a staff responsibility to increase parent awareness of accident prevention, and of their child's ability to learn safety habits at a very early age.

The following precautions are to be observed in all school:

·    All household products and medications are to be kept in their original containers, and stored in cupboards not accessible to children, ie. out of reach or with childproof locks.

·    Medication  procedures must be followed at all times

·    Children are to be restricted from the kitchen area.

·    Have the cold water only available for children.

·    Never drink hot liquids near children. Drinking of any hot beverage is to be restricted to child-free areas.

·    The school must have approved earth leakage circuit breakers fitted to the main power box. Electrocutions are reduced by the use of  circuit breakers - not prevented entirely. Electrical items are to be tagged annually.

·    Power points must have protective shutters, or be fitted with protective plugs.

·    Hand-held electrical appliances must not be used in wet areas.

·    Teach children to respect all electrical appliances.

·    Avoid water on floors. Mop up any spillage immediately.

Particular attention needs to be given to the bathroom area and the lunch area.

·    Never leave plastic bags within reach of children.

·    Choose safe toys with the age of the child in mind, ie. avoid small removable parts for infants, choose durable toys, avoid movable parts which may pinch the child, etc. Check all toys regularly, and repair or discard any broken toys.

·    All water play areas must be supervised by a staff member at all times.

All playground equipment and buildings must be checked daily for:

·    stability,

·    broken pieces,

·    insect, spider and/or snake infestation.

Hazardous plants must not be accessible to children.

All playground equipment must be checked for the following:

·    Provision of safety rails on platforms and equipment over 1.5 metres high. It should not be possible to fall from any structure onto an object below.

·    Provision of clear landing places at the base of slides, etc.

·    Timber top edges should be rounded, and logs checked for splinters.

o        Ensure there are no projections on sliding surfaces.

o        Bolts should be counter-sunk.

o        Check all structures regularly for stability.

o        Check equipment for wear.

·    Boards are to be cared for properly to avoid cracking, ie. Never leave boards out when not in use, and regularly oil boards with recommended products.

·    Provide shock absorbing surfaces under play equipment.

·    Provide barriers to prevent children running into the path of moving objects such as swings.

·    All climbing equipment must have a staff member supervising it when in use.

·    Any vertical railing in the school is to be no more than eight (8) centimetres apart.

·    All playground equipment must be used with the child's ability in mind, eg.  it may be necessary to restrict younger children using certain climbing equipment.

·    Display Emergency Exit procedures and complete quarterly drills.

·    Check the school’s fire extinguishers annually and instruct all staff on their use.

NSW HEALTH 1997 How safe are children’s playgrounds & 1998 Making your home a safer place.

9. Staff Immunisation

The National Health and Medical Research Council has issued guidelines to protect health care workers. Staff in children’s services and schools are more likely to be at risk from common childhood infections and thus staff records should show details of each staff member’s immunisations.
Because staff can be carriers of communicable infections and because they have a professional responsibility to protect children, National Health and Medical Research Council’s recommended immunisations should be followed. Immunisation reduces the risk of exposure to possible infection. It also reduces the risk to the unborn infant. Rubella (German Measles) can cause severe defects in an infant, especially if a woman contracts it in the early months of pregnancy. A woman planning a pregnancy is encouraged to know what her rubella status is before becoming pregnant.

The recommended immunisations for staff are:

• Measles mumps rubella;
• booster doses of diphtheria and tetanus (combined vaccine ADT) every ten years;
• Hepatitis A for those working with children, particularly in situations where the children have not learned self toileting or have additional needs and in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities;
• Hepatitis B.

 September 1997 Early Childhood Australia Inc

10. Child Protection Policies and Procedures (see Policies required by DOCS)

Ombudsman Amendment (Child Protection and Community Services) Act 1998

11. Hygiene and Food Safety

Preparing food
Always wash your hands with soap and water before preparing food to prevent germs on your hands from contaminating food. This is especially important after using the toilet, handling pets or using a handkerchief. Always wash fresh fruit and vegetables. Make sure you wash chopping boards, knives - and your hands - carefully with hot water and detergent after using them to cut raw meat, poultry and fish. Any germs left on chopping boards, knives or hands can contaminate other foods. never allow pets' dishes to come into contact with plates of food. NSWHEALTH 1996

12. FOOD AND NUTRITION

 It is the centre's responsibility to help children and parents develop good food attitudes and habits. In order to achieve this, we  are to:

·   Develop an awareness of cross-cultural eating patterns and related food values.

·    Ensure meals are relaxed, pleasant and timed to meet the needs of the children.

·    Prohibit the use of food as punishment, reward or bribe

·    Prohibit any form of force feeding.

·    Encourage independence and social skills at meal times.

·    Establish healthy eating habits in the children by the incorporation of nutritional education into the program.

·    Communicate with parents/guardians about their child's food intake, ie reporting and concerns.

·    Inform parents/guardians of children's nutritional needs through posters, parent library information etc.

·    Motivate staff to present themselves as role models, maintaining good personal nutrition, and to eat with the children at meal times.

Goal

To ensure children at Montessori Works (which is long day care in its hours of operation) may benefit from a Nutrition Policy for the centre which is consistent with the NSW Health Department Caring for Children and this is discussed with Parents and Staff.

Strategies

ü       All parents and staff will be supplied with a copy of the latest Food and Nutrition Policy.

ü       Children have access to a fruit/vegetable snacks if they are hungry between meals.

ü       Parents bring a fresh piece of fruit/vegetable to be placed in the fruit basket each and every day.

ü       Water will be the primary drink and will be available at all times.

ü       Parents will be advised if their child is not eating well.

ü       Parents with children on special diets will be asked to provide details of any special food needs compiled by a qualified doctor/dietician.

ü       Each parent will receive in the handbook suggestions for Parents on Bringing Suitable Foods from Home (Caring for Children, NSW Health)

Goal

To provide food to children that has been stored, prepared and served in a safe and hygienic manner and to promote hygienic food practices.

Strategies

ü       Ready to eat food will not be touched with bare hands. Gloves or tongs will be used.

ü       Food will be stored at safe temperatures i.e. below 4 degrees C or above 60 degrees C. The refrigerator will be kept below 4 degrees C.

ü       Children and staff will wash their hands before handling food or eating meals and snacks

ü       Staff will discourage children from handling other children's food and utensils.

Goal

To provide an eating environment that promotes family and multicultural values.

Strategies

ü       Staff members will sit with children at lunch time as often as possible.

ü       Food will not be used as a form of punishment either by its provision or denial

ü       Special occasions will be celebrated with culturally appropriate foods eg birthdays, cultural and religious days

ü       Recipes and food awareness activities will be chosen from a variety of cultures

ü       Parents will be invited to at least one food occasion each year

Goal

To teach children about food and nutrition

Strategies

ü       Food awareness activities will be included in the centre program

ü       Children will be encouraged to get practical experience in food preparation

ü       The foods being served to children will be discussed with them

see Easy Lunch and Snack Ideas for Children NSW Health 2002