Center-Based Health and Safety

First Aid

When an injury occurs, program staff will provide basic first-aid, if needed (such as using ice packs or cleaning the injury with mild soap and water or an antiseptic wipe). Family Support or the Program Coordinator will contact the parents, explain the situation, and follow through as needed. In case of serious injury, staff will call 911 for emergency transportation to a hospital facility. An administrator, Family Support Worker, or other designated staff member will accompany the child in the ambulance. Under no circumstances will any employee transport a child alone for medical treatment.

In case of serious injury occurring away from the site, a staff member will call 911 for emergency transportation to the nearest hospital facility and will contact an administrator at the site. The teacher or other staff member will explain the situation and inform the agency as to which hospital the child is being taken to. A staff member will accompany the child in the ambulance while a Family Support Worker contacts the parents. An administrator will meet the teacher and child at the hospital.

An accident report will be promptly written by the teacher or youth worker, and the teacher or youth worker, program coordinator/director, and parent will sign it. The original report will be given to the parent, and copies will be provided to the assigned family support worker or program coordinator/director and added to the Social Service file.

CPR & First Aid

First Aid & Choking

Non-Program food

NON-PROGRAM FOOD:

Food may not be brought into the center that is prepared at home. Exceptions to this policy are rare but may be made if a child requires a special diet that the center cannot otherwise accommodate. The centers have a catering company that will have allergy substitutions available. These foods will only be consumed by the child for whom they are intended.

COMMUNICATION: The FSS/Site Manager will develop a plan of communication.

Determine who will notify the parent/guardian by verbal and/or written information. If parent/guardian is given permission to bring food because the center cannot accommodate the child, then these instructions must be followed. Develop the content of verbal/ written information, which may include:

Food label with child name
Date food was brought in
Type of food it is

Daily Health Checks

To ensure the health of program participants enrolled in Gads Hill Center programs, education staff in early education and school-age programs perform a visual daily health check of children upon arrival. The health check is a non-invasive process by which the child is determined to be free from symptoms of injury, illness, or possible abuse or neglect.

If a concern is noted during the daily health check, program staff informs the parent of their concern, documents the concern on a symptom form, and notifies the Family Support staff or program coordinator. Family Support/management staff will decide which action should be taken based on the observed symptoms, including whether or not the child needs to be temporarily excluded from attendance based on the possibility of contagious disease.

Daily Care Report GHC.pdf

Infant Daily Care Sheet

Daily Health Check.pdf

Daily Child Health Check Form

Center- Based 0-5

Incident Reports

Classroom staff must complete an Incident Report when:

A child is hurt and needs off-site medical treatment.
There is any medication error.
A child is stung by a Bee.

Site Managers will ensure both the staff completing the report and the parent signs the report. Incident Reports are in triplicate. The child's file receives the original and the yellow copies (within 24 hours), and the parent receives a copy. All incident reports are reviewed and logged by the Site Manager.

Incident Reports resulting in outside provider treatment or emergency treatment are forwarded to the Health and Safety Manager within seven days of occurrence, and records shall be maintained.

Staff completes a Boo-Boo Report when a child has a minor incident stating what happened, what was done to make the child feel better, and who provided the care. Staff completing the report and parent will both sign the report.

Classroom Staff and/or Education Coordinator may initiate a Bite Log when a classroom identifies a persistent biting pattern or issue. The Bite Log consists of the date, time the bite occurred, the area in which the bite occurred, the victim’s name, the biter’s name, documentation of the condition of the skin (i.e. was the skin broken), and comments section if needed. Attempted bites are also logged. Education Manager with classroom staff initiate interventions to decrease or prevent excessive biting.

Medical Examinations

Annual physical and dental examinations are required of infants, toddlers, and preschool children enrolled in Gads Hill Center programs. These examinations occur on an annual (every year) basis for school-aged children and include tuberculosis screenings. Parents will receive a notice along with blank forms, a minimum of two months before the existing physical expires. Staff will work with families to provide referrals to partner medical providers in the event that children do not have a home physician or dentist to visit. Medical forms and immunizations are updated at this time.

Gads Hill Center additionally requires all staff members and volunteers, regardless of position, to complete a physical examination biannually that includes a tuberculosis clearance and a physician’s certification that no medical impediment exists to their work with children. Staff or volunteers failing to complete this requirement may be excluded from the program until the requirement is met.

Sanitation and Handwashing Procedures

Diaper Changing Cleaning and Sanitation Procedures

Cleaning and Sanitizing

All cleaning and sanitizing occur according to CDC safety guidelines. Maintenance and education staff work together to ensure that all surfaces and high-touch areas are cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis with child-safe and effective cleaning and disinfecting solutions. In classrooms, cleaning occurs with a solution of soap and water while sanitizing occurs with a solution of one tablespoon of bleach in one quart of clean water. Both solutions are prepared daily. All cleaning solutions are to be locked away and out of reach of children while both in and out of use.

Surfaces used for holding or serving food, such as counters and tables, are cleaned with soap and water solution and sanitized with bleach and water solution. Cleaning and sanitizing shall occur prior to and after each use of the surface.

Children’s restrooms are deep cleaned and disinfected daily by maintenance staff, with additional cleaning occurring throughout the day on an as-needed basis. Full cleaning of the classrooms, including the mopping of floors, vacuuming of rugs, cleaning of sinks, and countertops, is performed by maintenance staff or a third-party company when children are not present.

Cleaning of toys and furniture is the responsibility of the education staff. Tabletops are cleaned and disinfected between activities or when they become soiled or contaminated. Other furniture is cleaned and disinfected weekly. Toys that are placed in children’s mouths or otherwise contaminated are washed and disinfected before being used by another child. Water tables are emptied after use, and both table and toys are cleaned.

Each child in Early Childhood programs is assigned to an individual cot, which is cleaned and disinfected weekly. Sheets and blankets are washed weekly.

Garbage Collection

Garbage is collected from classrooms a minimum of twice per day and from restrooms and offices a minimum of once per day, with additional collection occurring on an as-needed basis. Collected garbage is immediately removed from the building and placed in a covered outdoor trash dumpster.

Each classroom contains a tightly covered garbage can, lined with plastic, which is used for left-over food and disposable meal service supplies as well as other classroom refuse.

What to do if cleaning does not occur?

If the cleaning was not performed, the staff should report the problem immediately to the Site Manger or Janitorial staff. The facilities department is responsible for finding a solution to perform the work as soon as possible.

Classroom Cleaning and Disinfection Log 08.19.22.docx

Classroom Cleaning and Disinfectant Log

Communicable Diseases

Parents are advised and encouraged to keep their children at home if they display any sickness symptoms (cough, sneezing, runny nose, body aches, etc.). The following guidance is regarding whether a child begins displaying symptoms while in the program.

INITIAL DISEASE NOTIFICATION IN THE PROGRAM:

The Site Manager is notified of a communicable disease, as listed per the CDC Guidelines, of a program participant.

The program participant will be physically distanced from the rest of the classroom to prevent the further spread of the disease.

The Site Manager will contact Leadership, refer to CDC/DCFS/DFSS guidelines, and determine the appropriate steps.

FSS will attempt to contact the affected child’s parents/guardian to obtain the health history and discuss the center’s procedures to control the transmission of a communicable disease in the classroom.

The FSS/Site Manager shall inform parents or staff of the need to confirm the medical diagnosis with the health care provider.

The parent/guardian (or approved emergency contact) will be asked to pick up their child immediately.

CONTROL AND PREVENTION:

A plan for the control and prevention of a communicable disease will be developed by the FSS or Site Manager.

Determine who, if anyone, is at risk: i.e., children or staff with close contact, children or staff in the same classroom, other children, other staff, family members, or others living with an affected child. Determine what intervention, if any, is needed. Determine who will provide the required intervention.

Develop a strategy for early identification of additional cases, an exclusion policy if warranted, and referral procedures for the treatment of any other suspected cases. If a parent/guardian chooses not to have their child receive recommended preventive treatment, the child will be excluded until the incubation period is over or clearance from their health care provider provided. (Exclusion also applies to any staff choosing not to receive recommended preventive treatment.)

COMMUNICATION:

FSS/Site Manager will develop a plan of communication.
Determine who will notify the at-risk site by verbal and/or written information.

Develop the content of verbal/written information, which may include:

Name of the diagnosed condition
How it is transmitted?
Who is at risk?
Signs and symptoms of illness

When to see a doctor

Precautions taken to prevent the spread of disease
Exclusion policy and school re-entry

Administering Medication

Staff will meet with parents/guardians to discuss the following:

Review the written instructions on the medication
Process for administering the medication
Review the medication log
Obtain written medication consent

The medication consent form needs to be completed by the parent with copies in the child’s individual health file and in the medication log.

The medication consent form is required to include the following information:

Name of child
The Prescription number on the medication
Dosage and time administered
Signatures of parent and staff

All medication must be brought to the site by the parent/guardian in the original, child-resistant container labeled by a pharmacist.

In addition, each label must contain the following:

Identify the child’s first and last name
Display the name and strength of the medication
The date the prescription was filled and the expiration date
Instructions for administering medication and storage
Side effects of the medication
Name of the healthcare provider who wrote the prescription

All medications are stored in a sealed container in the Family Support office out of reach of children. The Family Support office is always locked when staff is out of the office. There is a refrigerator in the Family Support office in case the medication must be refrigerated.

Medication is dispensed only by authorized, trained staff, which includes site managers and support staff. Only authorized staff will administer medication, and all authorized staff will complete training before administering medication to children. All directors, program administrators, and caregivers/teachers should document the receipt of training.

Med Log.pdf

Medication Log

Dental Emergency

Gads Hill Center staff will provide, to the best of their ability, emergency first aid to children. Staff will remain with the child until emergency medical personnel arrive and/ or the parent/guardian can continue treatment.

Remain calm: Your response or reaction to illness, injury, and trauma will affect a child’s ability to cooperate. All incidents should be handled calmly and quietly. A panicked child is more likely to cause difficulty for caregivers providing first aid or treatment and may lead to further trauma. In all cases, staff will remain with the children and not leave them unattended.

Survey Scene for Safety: When a child is injured, ensure the environment is safe to proceed to a child without causing additional harm to self or others. Ensure other children and adults who are not directly involved with providing care are not allowed to stand about and impede the progress of care provided. Ensure the environment is safe and free from other potential hazards. (If the environment remains unsafe to provide first aid care, call 911 or the local emergency medical services telephone number for assistance.

Provide Appropriate First Aid Care: If an injury is “life-threatening” call 911 or your local emergency telephone number, contact parents and follow the procedures outlined within the Medical Emergency Policy. GHC staff will accompany the child with his/her medical folder and consent to seek treatment form and remain with the child until the parent or legal guardian assumes responsibility for the child. If the injury is not “life-threatening” and a child does not need EMS transport or care, follow the steps below and contact the child’s parents to transport their child to the dentist.

Tooth Brushing

Ages 2 to 6 years

1. When more than half the children are finished with breakfast, lunch, or snack, one staff person will begin to supervise tooth brushing.

2. Staff and children wash their hands per the agency-approved hand-washing procedure.

3. Provide each child with a child-size toothbrush with soft bristles labeled with his/her name.

4. Staff place a pea size of toothpaste on the rim of each child's paper rinsing cup and then have the child transfer the toothpaste to his/her toothbrush.

5. Establish a tooth brushing routine by demonstrating the proper technique of brushing:

a. Hold the toothbrush perpendicular to the gum line to clean inside surfaces. Stroke up and down between the gum line and tip of each tooth.

b. Hold the toothbrush horizontally at an angle to the gum line to clean outside surfaces. Make short up-and-down strokes to get at plaque along the gum line.

c. Brush the tongue lightly from back to front a few times, being careful not to trigger reflex gagging.

6. When the child has finished brushing his/her teeth, have him/her rinse by filling the paper cup with very little water. Demonstrate to the child how this should be done and supervise to discourage water swallowing.

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