Week 1

In North Carolina, anyone caring for more than two non-relative children for more than four hours a day will likely need to be licensed (regulated), unless they qualify for an exemption (https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Read/regulated-child-care-in-nc). The purpose of regulation is to protect the well-being of children while they are away from their parents.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for regulating childcare. This is done through the Division of Child Development and Early Education (https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/).

The law defining childcare is in the North Carolina General Statutes, Article 7, Chapter 110.

The North Carolina Child Care Commission is responsible for adopting rules to implement the childcare laws established by the North Carolina General Assembly. The Child Care Commission makes rules about:

• Procedures a childcare center or home must follow to obtain a license

• Health and safety requirements for childcare

  • Safety of indoor/outdoor equipment and environment

  • Health requirements for children and staff

  • How medication may be administered to children

  • When sick children must be excluded from childcare

• Staff qualifications and training

• Supervision of children

• The maximum allowable ratios of staff to children in care (centers)

• Developmentally appropriate activities for children

• Nutrition standards that childcare centers or homes must follow

• Discipline policies of childcare centers or homes

• Requirements for transporting children

• Records that childcare centers or homes must keep

• Voluntary higher standards to achieve a two-five star rated license

• Administrative actions that may be taken by the Division of Child Development and Early Education against a license

Anyone can receive notification of Commission meetings by providing their email address via https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Home/Contact.

North Carolina law addresses requirements for all childcare programs. Childcare regulations, on the other hand, are specific to particular types of care - for example, a family childcare home adheres to a different set of regulations than a childcare center. Compliance with laws and regulations is the responsibility of every licensed childcare program, regardless of type, and is regulated by the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education.

But early childhood professionals have a role to play in compliance, too! In order to ensure that the children in my care are healthy, safe and learning, I must be familiar with the regulations that apply to the childcare program I am (or will be) working in.

Week 1

I carefully read the following sections of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Child Care Rulebook:

Safety Requirements for Child Care Centers (Section .0600)

Staff Qualifications (.0700)

Nutrition Standards (.0900)

Transportation Standards (.1000)

Building Code Requirements for Child Care Centers (Section .1300)

Family Child Care Home Requirements (Section .1700)

Special Procedures Concerning Abuse/Neglect (Section .1900)

Child Care for Mildly Ill Children (Section .2400)

Child Care for Children who are Medically Fragile (Section .2600)

https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Portals/0/documents/pdf/D/DCDEE_Rulebook.pdf

I identified the following five Rules that I had previously been unfamiliar with and explained why it is important for early childhood professionals to be familiar with each of them. I also identified one Rule that I think would be challenging to comply with and explained why.

Here is what I wrote . . .

1. 10A NCAC 09 .2403 SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR LICENSURE- (a) A center that enrolls mildly sick children as a component of a child care center shall have approval for short term care for mildly sick children indicated on their license. A copy of the license shall be posted in the area used by mildly sick children so that it is seen by the public.

Caregivers should be aware of this rule so that they can prepare to care for mildly sick children and have all of the necessary supplies. Caregivers should be knowledgeable about illnesses and trained on how to best support the children in all cases.

2. 10A NCAC 09 .2407 SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR MILDLY SICK CHILDREN- (a) There shall be at least 45 square feet of inside space per child present. When space is measured the following shall not be included: closets, hallways, storage areas, kitchens, bathrooms, utility areas, thresholds, foyers, space or rooms used for administrative activities or space occupied by adult-sized desks, cabinets, file cabinets, etc.; any floor space occupied by or located under equipment, furniture, or materials not used by children; and any floor space occupied by or located under built-in equipment or furniture. (b) A center that enrolls mildly sick children as a component of a child care center shall: (1) ensure that if the outdoor play area is shared by both well and mildly sick children, ensure that there are separate areas of play; and (2) ensure that the indoor area used by the mildly sick children is separated by an interior or exterior entrance. (c) An outdoor play area shall not be required for children who are mildly sick. If a child is in care for more than three consecutive days, however, he or she must have the opportunity to go outside for play or leisure activities.

Staff at childcare centers should be knowledgeable about the amount of children per space so that they do not overfill the classroom with students. It is important for children to have space inside and outside to move freely without the risk of hurting other children because of a small classroom.

3. 10A NCAC 09 .0901 GENERAL NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS- (f) The child care provider shall serve only the following beverages: (1) breast milk, as specified in Paragraph (k) of this Rule; (2) formula; (3) water; (4) unflavored whole milk, for children ages 12-23 months; (5) unflavored skim or lowfat milk for children 24 months through five years; (6) unflavored skim milk, unflavored low-fat milk, or flavored skim milk for children six years and older; or Effective August 13, 2020 48 (7) 100 percent fruit juice, limited to 6 ounces per day, for all ages

Caregivers should know about this rule so that they do not give students anything to drink that is not healthy or not allowed for the children. It is important to follow the nutritional plan of the children so that children do not have allergic reactions to drinks that they are not supposed to have.

4. 10A NCAC 09 .1005 OFF PREMISE ACTIVITIES IN CHILD CARE CENTERS- (b) When children participate in off premise activities the following shall apply: (1) Children under the age of three shall not participate in off premise activities that involve children being transported in a motor vehicle.

It is important for caregivers and staff to know about this rule so that classrooms that support children under the age of three do not plan off premise activities. If any off premise activities are planned, they should be for children over three years old so that no children are left out.

5. 10A NCAC 09 .1725 SANITATION REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES- (a) To assure the health of children through proper sanitation, the family child care home operator shall: (1) collect and submit samples of water from each well used for the children's water supply for bacteriological analysis to the local health department or a laboratory certified to analyze drinking water for public water supplies by the North Carolina Division of Laboratory Services every two years. Results of the analysis shall be on file in the home

Caregivers should know about this rule so that they can ensure parents and children that the water used in the facility is safe. It is important for staff to keep this information up to date for the safety of the children, staff, and parents.

The rule that would be the hardest to comply with would be, 10A NCAC 09 .2407 SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR MILDLY SICK CHILDREN, because caregivers would have to keep this rule in mind every time a new group of students comes into the classroom. Making sure there is enough space available for all children at all times would be time consuming.

Week 2

I conducted an indoor safety inspection of my home and discovered several hazards:

Hazard 1: Cleaning Supplies

This is hazardous because the cleaning supplies are in an open cabinet that is close to the ground, easily accessible to children.

To eliminate this hazard, I would put a child lock on the cabinet or keep the cleaning supplies on a high shelf that is unreachable for children.

Hazard 2: Electrical Outlets

This is dangerous because there are many electrical outlets that are close to the ground and could be reached by children.

To eliminate this hazard, I would buy cover plates for the outlets to ensure that children do not stick any objects in the outlet and hurt themselves.

Hazard 3: Lighters

This is dangerous because there is a lighter on the low coffee table that a child could reach and burn themselves with.

To eliminate this hazard, I would remove the lighter from the coffee table and keep it in a drawer that is unreachable and out of sight from the children.

Hazard 4: Medications

This is dangerous because a child could reach medication and take it or they could choke on the medication.

To eliminate this hazard, I would move all medications to a higher cabinet so it out of reach and out of sight from children.

Hazard 5: Pet

This is dangerous because there are cat supplies and cat litter on the ground in a room that is open and can be reached by children, who may try to eat it.

To eliminate this hazard, I would keep cat litter and supplies in a room with a child safe gate so that I could monitor the child around the items.

Week 3

In EDU 153, I am learning a lot about managing risk – in other words, eliminating hazards from early childhood environments – a very important topic! But I need to do more than just eliminate hazards. I also need to be intentional about including health, safety and nutrition related activities in my curriculum so that children can develop health, safety and nutrition related concepts and skills – concepts and skills that are too important to be left to chance.

During week 3, I planned a safety-promoting activity for a group of older preschoolers (4-5 year olds).

The safety-related topic of my activity is __Pedestrian/Traffic Safety__. (Select your topic from the list of safety-related topics provided in Step 1.)

I would begin this activity by reading the children’s book, __"Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again" _ (write the title of the book), by ___Ginger Pate___ (write the complete names of the author(s) of the book).

Here is a summary of the book. The book "Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again" uses repetition to teach children the safety rules of crossing the street and why it is important. The duck, Wally Waddlewater, in the book is the main character who has to learn how to cross the street. His grandmother teaches him how to cross the street so that he can deliver mail to a friend. The book does a great job of teaching children by using repetitive language and animals as the characters to keep children intrigued. (Write a detailed summary of the book. Your summary should establish that you have read the complete book and that the book does, in fact, help children learn about the identified safety-related topic.)

Here are two words, specifically related to my topic, that children would learn during the activity, along with their child-friendly definitions and the source of the definitions (a published dictionary or comparable source):

Word 1: Traffic

Child-friendly definition: the movement of people or vehicles along a sidewalk, road, or other route of travel.

Source of definition: traffic | Free On-Line English Dictionary | Thesaurus | Children's, Intermediate Dictionary | Wordsmyth

Word 2: Pedestrian

Child-friendly definition: a person travelling on foot, whether walking or running

Source of definition: Pedestrian Facts for Kids (kiddle.co)

After reading the book to children and engaging children in conversation about the book, I would implement the following topic-related activity. (Describe, in detail, the single activity you would implement to reinforce the identified safety-related topic. Remember, your activity must make use of one of the three identified NCFELD teaching strategies identified in Step 2.)

To teach children about traffic safety I would introduce the activity called, Red Light, Green Light. In this game I would call out either "red light", and the children would stop, or "green light", and the children would walk/run. In addition to this, I would ask the children the look left and right before going when I call "green light". Whoever makes it safely to the finish line while following directions and making sure they look both ways before going, would win. This would help teach the children about what the different colored traffic lights mean while also getting them in the habit of looking both directions before crossing the street.

This activity is related to the following NCFELD goal: HPD-8: Children develop awareness of basic safety rules and begin to follow them.

This activity makes use of the following NCFELD teaching strategy: (State the NCFELD teaching strategy your activity implements, exactly as it appears in NCFELD.) Use play to reinforce safety messages and practice responding to dangerous situations. (“Let’s pretend the fire alarm went off. What should we do?”)

I would engage diverse families in this activity in the following two ways. (Describe two specific, appropriate/feasible ways to engage diverse families in your activity based on information provided in the “Supporting and Engaging Diverse Families” section of the safety-related chapters of our textbook. Note: Simply writing “Inform Me” does not help me understand what, specifically, you/the teacher would do to engage/involve parents in the activity. Provide specific, detailed information- for example, “The teacher will explain the topic (e.g., animal safety) to parents by providing 5-10 animal safety tips via a newsletter written in parents’ primary languages to be distributed via school/class website, email and bulletin board, and encourage parents to follow animal safety guidelines at home and in the community.”

1. I would incorporate diverse parents by using different languages for "red light" and "green light". This could easily be learned by me to help parents and children, that may speak two languages at home, to understand better.

2. I would send parents a summary of the lesson plan so that they could understand why traffic safety is being taught and how they can work on it with their children at home.

Week 4

I also learned about MyPlate, the current nutrition guide published by the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. MyPlate is a graphic depicting a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups. It replaced the USDA's FoodPyramid guide on June 2, 2011. MyPlate is displayed on food packaging and used in nutrition education in the United States. MyPlate is based on the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

I watched the following videos about MyPlate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7QOUiQCb5E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J1hmmy1OB4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87xBZisdodY

https://www.first5california.com/en-us/videos/fit-kids-my-plate-food-groups/

I perused the following MyPlate-related websites:

https://www.myplate.gov/ (general information about MyPlate)

https://www.myplate.gov/life-stages (MyPlate-related information specifically related to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kids and other age groups)

Here are the 10 most important facts about MyPlate that every early childhood professional should know in order to provide nutritionally balanced meals based on the MyPlate nutrition guide.

1. Children tend to be picky eaters, so food that is unknown should be given to children with familiar foods.

2. Having children help prepare their own meals will allow them to feel accomplished and they will want to try the food that they helped to make.

3. Children should be given a variety of foods everyday so that they get the chance to try new foods and textures.

4. MyPlate consists of the 5 main food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, grain, and protein.

5. Following the food guides from MyPlate will give children a very healthy diet and meal.

6. Most U.S. public schools base their meals off of MyPlate, so it will be familiar to children as they grow up.

7. Food safety is also an important part of MyPlate guidelines.

8. Food should be chopped and prepared safely so that children do not choke or get sick from any of the food.

9. Fruits and vegetables make of half of the plate for MyPlate to avoid heavily processed foods such as, chicken nuggets.

10. When choosing dairy for children, it should be lower in fat.

Week 4

Including Nutrition-Promoting Activities in the Curriculum

During week 4, I planned a nutrition-promoting activity, consistent with the MyPlate nutrition guide, for a group of older preschoolers (4-5 year olds).

I would begin this activity by reading the children’s book, _"We're Going To The Farmers' Market"__ (write the title of the book), by __Stefan Page__ (write the complete names of the author(s) of the book).

Here is a summary of the book. (Write a detailed summary of the book. Your summary should establish that you have read the complete book and that the book does, in fact, help children learn about some aspect of nutrition, consistent with the MyPlate nutrition guide.)

The book is based off of children taking a trip to the farmers market so that they can pick out food for their meal. The choose a variety of fruits and vegetables to make their meal healthy and colorful. The book uses a lot of color and rhymes so that the readers stay intrigued. Even though the book contains the father making a cake at the end, it still shows how fun and simple it is to pick out healthy ingredients.

Here are two words, specifically related to my topic, that children would learn during the activity, along with their child-friendly definitions and the source of the definitions (a published dictionary or comparable source):

Word 1: Diet

Child-friendly definition: the food and drink that a person or animal usually takes

Source of definition: Diet | Definition of Diet by Merriam-Webster

Word 2: Portions

Child-friendly definition: the amount of food you choose to serve someone at each snack or meal

Source of definition: Portions and Serving Sizes - HealthyChildren.org

After reading the book to children and engaging children in conversation about the book, I would implement the following nutrition-related activity. (Describe, in detail, the single activity you would implement. Remember, your activity must make use of one of the three identified NCFELD teaching strategies identified in Step 2.)

This activity is related to the following NCFELD goal: HPD-1: Children develop healthy eating habits.

This activity makes use of the following NCFELD teaching strategy: (State the NCFELD teaching strategy your activity implements, exactly as it appears in NCFELD.)

I would engage diverse families in this activity in the following two ways. (Describe two specific, appropriate/feasible ways to engage diverse families in your activity based on information provided in the “Supporting and Engaging Diverse Families” section of the nutrition-related chapters of our textbook. Note: Simply writing “Inform Me” does not help me understand what, specifically, you/the teacher would do to engage/involve parents in the activity. Provide specific, detailed information - for example, “The teacher will explain the topic (e.g., per the MyPlate nutrition guide, half of one's plate should be fruits and vegetables) and will provide tips for getting picky eaters to try new fruits and vegetables via a newsletter written in parents’ primary languages to be distributed via school/class website, email and bulletin board, and encourage parents to follow MyPlate guidelines at home.”

1. I will provide families with websites and books about MyPlate that will help families incorporate the information into their home lives. Providing websites will allow diverse families to translate the webpages into their primary language. Researching books in other languages to provide to families will be helpful to those that may not have internet access.

2. I will research meals in other cultures to provide more diverse foods that families may normally eat at home. This will help families and children feel more comfortable when incorporating MyPlate with their meals. A list of these meals and how they could be altered to fit MyPlate will be given to children to show to their families.

Week 5

Menu Planning and Food Safety

During week 5, I learned about planning menus and preparing for food safety (Chapter 9), including the importance of being aware of food programs that can be accessed by early childhood education environments. Early childhood professionals must know how to select healthy foods, plan adequate menus, and prepare food in a safe manner. They can use education, cultural sensitivity, observation, supervision, and communications with parents to ensure that the early childhood education environment provides for the nutritional needs of children.

Tools for Promoting Good Health

I also learned about health policies needed in early childhood education environments (Chapter 10). Health policies help early childhood professionals manage the environment for good physical and mental health, and they should reflect high-quality early childhood education. Accurate child and staff health histories should be maintained, including immunization records. Staff should model and maintain good health by avoiding exposure to infectious diseases, stress, back injury, and environmental hazards. Teachers should observe and assess the health and wellbeing of every child in their care. They should appraise individual children’s physical health, including motor abilities, vision and hearing. Children can be screened for growth and developmental norms. Observations should be documented. Teachers need to be aware of families’ vulnerabilities and use cultural competence when discussing issues surrounding children’s health. Teachers can improve the health environment by engaging diverse families and building meaningful curriculum for children.

Part 2: Informal Health Assessment

After having carefully reviewed the section of chapter 10 related to staff health, respond, in complete sentences, to the following prompts. Please number your responses. Upload your responses, along with the text below, to the EDU 153 page of your digital portfolio according to the sample digital portfolio provided.

Staff health is an important factor in the protection of health and wellness in early childhood education environments. All personnel should have a pre-employment physical examination and meet health record requirements. Staff health should be maintained by keeping immunizations up to date and by washing hands frequently. Teachers should regularly employ practices that help avoid stress, back pain and exposure to infectious diseases and hazardous environmental materials.

During week 5, I conducted an informal assessment of my physical health through self-observation. I recorded how I felt for a period of three days, using precise words. Here is what I wrote.

Day 1: I am very tired today, but I am in not in any physical pain. I could be tired from staying up too late or the new consistency my job brings. I am content with how I am feeling and where I am at right now in my life.

Day 2: My hips are aching and my lower back hurts. It is not so painful that I want to sit down all day, but it is just very bothersome. I am still able to carry out tasks and do my job, so that is all that matters. Mentally I feel drained from personal issues, but I am still able to get out of bed and do my job well.

Day 3: Feeling better than yesterday and my hips aren't aching as badly today. I was able to get a lot done today and spend time after work on school assignments. I am feeling good and motivated.

Based on my self-assessment, I believe I can better protect my physical health by doing the following three things:

1. Getting more sleep

2. Stretching

3. Not sitting down for long periods of time

I also identified specific stressors in my daily life. I recorded how I typically respond to them and how I might better respond to them in order to protect my mental health. Here is what I wrote.

Stressor 1: Work

This is how I normally respond to this stressor: feel unmotivated and not want to do anything

This is how I can better respond to this stressor to protect my mental health: exercise or do something I like to do so that I can have more energy

Stressor 2: School

This is how I normally respond to this stressor: avoid working on school and doing something else to keep me occupied

This is how I can better respond to this stressor to protect my mental health: take short breaks while I am doing my school work so I don't feel overwhelmed

Stressor 3: Family

This is how I normally respond to this stressor: shut my family out and spend less time talking to them

This is how I can better respond to this stressor to protect my mental health: regulate my communication with them and put up boundaries

Week 6

During week 6, I learned about children with chronic health conditions in early childhood education environments (Chapter 13). Early childhood professionals must take a holistic approach as they work with children who have one or more chronic health conditions. They can employ different strategies to help manage children’s chronic health conditions, including engaging families and building appropriate curriculum.

I also learned about child maltreatment (Chapter 14), which affects 3.8 million children every year in the United States. I learned about preventive and protective measures that help ensure the greatest level of protection for children in early childhood education environments. Policies should be created to help early childhood professionals effectively respond to child maltreatment. Protective measures such as recognizing maltreatment, documentation, and reporting should be employed. Early childhood professionals must be skilled in practices and strategies for offering care to maltreated children. They must work with all types of families to offer the greatest protection against all forms of child maltreatment. The tools of education, cultural competence, observation and supervision assist early childhood professionals in creating environments that promote the safety and well-being of all children.

Here are some resources related to child maltreatment.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

http://www.aacap.org

American Academy of Pediatrics

141 Northwest Point Blvd.

Elk Grove Village, IL 60009–1098

http://www.aap.org

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Children's Bureau/ACYF

1250 Maryland Ave., S.W.

Eighth Floor

Washington, DC 200024

http:www.childwelfare.gov/

Partnerships Against Violence Network

http://www.pavnet.org

Child Welfare League of America

440 First St., N.W., Third Floor

Washington, DC 20001-2085

202-638-2952

FAX: 202-638-4004

http://www.cwla.org

Week 8

During week 8, I learned about health policies for infection control designed to maintain health and prevent illnesses in early childhood education environments (chapter 11). Good hygiene and sanitation to essential to health maintenance and illness prevention. Following immunization schedules is another essential practice. Food safety and storage are important considerations for managing the spread of disease. Early childhood professionals must understand the four methods of infectious disease spread as well as proactive measures that should be taken to reduce the spread of infectious disease.

I also learned what early childhood professionals need to do to prevent disease spread and how they should care for mildly ill children (Chapter 12). Early childhood professionals must create exclusion policies and understand reporting procedures. They must determine whether they are able to care for children who become ill but are not contagious. They must engage diverse families and create curriculum for children to help children and their families learn how to practice healthy habits.