Embedded Files
Building Design
All facilities used by Gads Hill Center and our partners were designed and constructed to ensure the safety of participants and staff and full adherence to the Illinois Licensing Standards and Child Care Act. Necessary licenses from city and state regulatory bodies are maintained to ensure the safety and security of each facility. In addition, each facility has provisions for emergency egress, and these routes are tested during emergency drills.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
Maintenance and education staff work together to ensure that all surfaces are cleaned and sanitized appropriately with safe and effective cleaning and disinfecting solutions. In classrooms, cleaning occurs with soap and water, and sanitizing occurs with one tablespoon of bleach in one quart of clean water. Both solutions are prepared daily.
Surfaces used for holding or serving food, such as counters and tables, are cleaned with soap and water and sanitized with bleach and water. Cleaning and sanitizing occur before and after each use of the surface.
Maintenance staff thoroughly cleans and disinfects children's restrooms daily, with additional cleaning occurring throughout the day as needed. Complete cleaning of the classrooms, including the mopping of floors, vacuuming of rugs, and cleaning of sinks and countertops, is performed by maintenance staff when children are not present.
Cleaning of toys and furniture is the responsibility of the education staff. Table tops are cleaned and disinfected between activities or when soiled or contaminated. Furniture is cleaned and disinfected weekly. Toys 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 daily, 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.
Pest Control
Gads Hill Center has contracted with Anderson Pest Control, a certified and bonded company licensed by the State of Illinois Department of Public Health, for monthly extermination services at directly-operated sites. Each Head Start Partner site has also contracted with a certified, bonded, and licensed pest control company. This company shall maintain at all times during the contract full coverage with general liability insurance. The extermination services take place before or after the children's arrival, and a staff person (evening janitor) is present. The agency's copy of the receipt indicates which chemicals have been used during the extermination process. A log of services and a rodent control log are available from the Maintenance Supervisor.
Building Safety
Guidance: Facilities must be maintained in a safe condition. Proper attention must be paid to issues of safety to ensure that staff and children are working and learning in a secure environment. Illinois Child Care Licensing Facilities require that the premises must be maintained in a condition ensuring health and safety. In accordance with the above-stated requirements, the following protocols regarding building safety are to be followed for Gads Hill Center:
Visitors:
1. Facilities are locked at all times. If a Collaborative Partner chooses not to lock their building, an alternative plan for the center's safety will be worked out with the Director of Early Childhood Programs or appropriate staff. It is recommended that classrooms also remain locked, if possible. Classrooms that do not remain locked may be issued lockdown magnets. Lock-down magnets allow the door to stay in the locked position while still allowing ready entry into the classroom. In the case of a lock-down drill or immediate threat, lockdown magnets should be removed, and the building safety procedures shall be followed.
2. Parents and volunteers visiting Gads Hill Center to volunteer must sign in using the GHC Daily Sign-In Sheet.
3. All other adult visitors to a Gads Hill Center building are required to sign in and out using the Daily Sign-In Sheet. The Daily Sign-In Sheet is required to be kept at each site near the entrance door. In buildings not owned by GHC (such as public-school collaborations), the building sign-in sheet may be substituted for the GHC Daily Sign-In Sheet. Adult visitors include but are not limited to: therapists, special classroom visitors, vendors, service people, and community members who are visiting for a purpose other than volunteering.
4. Visitors should be approved ahead of time by Teachers. If an unannounced visitor shows up, it must be cleared with the Site Manager or other Program Manager.
5. Guns or other weapons are not allowed inside any building where a Head Start or Early Head Start Classroom or Socialization occurs.
Assigned Building Keys and Safety Only
Gads Hill Center staff shall be issued a key(s) to the building where each is employed. With the exception of the Site Manager, keys will be issued for one entrance only unless other arrangements are made with the Program Director. In some cases, temporary keys may be issued with express permission form the Early Childhood Director.
Security for each key will be the responsibility of the person to whom it was issued.
Keys are not to be duplicated by anyone other than the Early Childhood Director.
Keys are only to be used for work purposes during approved work hours. Staff with questions regarding use of keys during non-typical work hours should discuss them s with their supervisor. Additionally, classroom space and offices are only to be used for work purposes during work hours.
Keys are not to be loaned to anyone and should only remain in the custody of the person to whom they were assigned. If extra keys are needed, contact the Early Childhood Director.
In the event of termination, leave longer than three weeks, or resignation, all keys will be returned as stated in the Keys and Facilities Policy.
Facilities and Child Release Safety
Head Start and Early Head Start staff are responsible for ensuring that all children safely arrive at and leave classrooms. Staff and parents should work together to ensure pick-up and drop-off goes smoothly and as scheduled. The following guidance is provided to staff and parents to keep the process working smoothly.
Guidance:
1. Children are only to be released to a parent, legal guardian, or other adults designated in writing on the GHC Early Childhood Program Emergency form by the parent or legal guardian.
a. Staff must maintain accurate Emergency Contact Information completed by the parent and guardian for each child in the program containing a list of adults who may be authorized to pick up the child.
2. Families must bring children to the centers by 9 am.
3. Families are requested to pick children up at the designated end of the program day. Children may only be released to parents, guardians, or another adult as indicated on the GHC Early Childhood Program Emergency Card. Guardians must inform GHC in writing if any other adult not listed on the Emergency form is to pick up a child.
Facilities and Emergency Guidance
GHC Head Start Programs is committed to providing a safe, secure environment in all their classrooms and other facilities. It is imperative to maintain accurate child attendance and volunteer records so that in an emergency, an accurate head count would confirm the presence or absence of any individual. It is also imperative to notify parents and others as soon as possible to reduce unnecessary concern and panic.
Guidance:
1. Medical Emergencies will be dealt with according to First Aid or Individual Health Plan guidance. Emergency Procedures and Health Plans are posted/filed in classrooms.
2. Child-to-provider ratios must be maintained. Additional support may be requested.
3. The site will be evacuated when the fire alarm rings or when requested by a staff, volunteer, public safety official, or building administration official; or if there is an indication of danger, including fire, flood, tornado, blizzard, violence in the community, power failure, bio-hazard, etc. An emergency phone list will be readily available, and the designated person listed on the emergency plan posted in each classroom in each site will be assigned to secure the list before evacuation. The emergency phone list will be attached to the evacuation plan and will be updated weekly as necessary.
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