Hand washing: Hands are washed before and after meals, after bathroom use, after nose blowing or wiping, and after handling an ill child. We talk about hand washing as part of our Healthy Habits (High Reach Learning) curriculum.
Diaper Changing: Hands are washed before and after changing diapers. Soiled diapers are disposed of immediately, and the changing table is disinfected with a weak bleach & water solution after each diaper change.
Sanitation: All toys and equipment are sterilized daily or as needed by spraying them with a bleach solution, putting them through the dishwasher, or washing them in the washing machine.
Laundry: Bedding and soiled clothing are laundered on a weekly or as needed basis.
Emergency Drills: Fire and Tornado drills are practiced once a month, (as children are able for their age) and escape plans are visibly posted both in the play area.
Health Care Plan: Only children who are current on immunizations can be admitted to Gummy Bears’ Daycare & Learning Center out of concern for all the daycare children. Medical records and immunizations are kept current in your child’s file. Please keep me informed of any immunization or medical updates regarding your child’s health as mandated by the state.
Note: When Covid-19 Vaccinations become available for infants and children, they will be expected to be fully vaccinated as their age allows.
First Aid Training: I maintain current CPR and First Aid Certifications.
I have Emergency Preparedness & Evacuation Plans in place so parents know what measures will be taken in case of emergencies or natural disasters.
The health of all children will be considered when making decisions regarding a sick child’s attendance. To reduce the spread of illness to otherwise healthy children, the following policies will be implemented.
The parent(s)/guardian(s) agree to notify the provider of a child’s illness or suspected illness and to make other arrangements if the child shows any of the following symptoms during the previous 12 hours: fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, diarrhea, severe cough, thick and/or colored nasal discharge, projectile vomiting, untreated ear infection, rash or has a contagious illness. Please do not bring your sick children to daycare. WHEN IN DOUBT….KEEP THEM OUT! I know parents have to work, and it is sometimes difficult to take the day off to care for your sick child, or to find back-up care if your child is unwell, but it is not fair to the other children in daycare, other daycare parents, or anyone else when you knowingly bring your sick child to daycare when they should be at home or a doctor's office. This is even more true now that we are in the age of COVID. If you suspect your child has COVID, or has been exposed to someone with COVID, they may NOT attend daycare until they have a clean bill of health in writing from their doctor.
Care will not be provided for a child who has strep throat or ear infections until the child has been on medication (antibiotics) and are fever free for 24 hours without medications, antibiotics or analgesics before returning to the center.
Children known to be in a contagious stage of an illness or communicable health condition (such as chicken pox or pink eye), or who have an unidentified rash should not be in care. Parents need to inform me A.S.A.P. when it is known that their child has a communicable disease so that I may notify other parents at the center.
The provider will notify the parent/guardian of any illness the child comes in contact with at the provider’s home.
The provider will attempt to notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) if the child shows any of the following symptoms while in care, or if the child is seriously injured: fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more, diarrhea, severe cough, thick and/or colored nasal discharge, projectile vomiting, rash, has a contagious illness, or when the provider feels the child is too ill to be in care.
The provider may refuse to accept the child for care if these symptoms are present: fever, diarrhea, vomiting, severe cough, thick and/or colored nasal discharge, rash or other unusual symptoms.
If, in the opinion of the provider, the child is too ill to remain in care, the parent/guardian will pick up the child within one hour when requested by the provider, or arrange for an authorized person to pick up the child.
I may request that a child who has had a prolonged illness or condition visit a doctor or have appropriate tests. The request will be honored by the parent as a sign of respect for all the other children at the center.
If medication needs to be administered while your child(ren) are in my care, parents will fill out an “Authorization to Administer Medications” form as required by the State of Iowa. All medicine must be in its original container, bearing the label with the child’s name, dosage and administration directions.
We certainly live in challenging times. COVID-19 has touched all of our lives in one way or another, sometimes in a minor way, sometimes in a devastating way, and yet we still have to go on living as best we can. At Gummy Bears' Daycare and Learning Center, we take the threat of COVID-19 seriously. During the initial peak of the pandemic, we took lots of precautions to try to limit exposure. Now that vaccinations are on the rise, we have loosened some of our restrictions, but still remain vigilant. The following is a list of precautions we took during the pandemic’s initial peak. If there are more surges in COVID-19, some or all of these measures may be re-implemented to protect families and children:
Limiting exposure by only allowing parents to drop off and pick up their child(ren). Under normal circumstances, parents may appoint specific friends or relatives to pick-up or drop-off children, but by limiting drop-off and pick-up to ONLY parents during the pandemic, we were able to reduce potential exposure and transmission of the virus.
Quick front door only drop-offs and pick-ups. During the peak of the pandemic, parents were asked to just walk to the front door, and I would meet them to welcome their child to care each day. The same procedure was taken at pick-up. I would get each child ready for home and meet parents at the front door with their child. Like limiting drop-offs and pick-ups to parents, this front door practice helps limit exposure and spread of the virus.
Removing some toys and soft furnishings ( like stuffed animals or pillows) temporarily from daycare. While we now know that contracting the virus through touching contaminated items isn’t the most efficient way the virus spreads, we also know that it is still possible. Limiting or removing items temporarily that are harder to clean and disinfect helps limit the spread and transmission of COVID-19.
Daily temperature checks. During peak virus times, children had their temperatures taken daily upon arriving at daycare. If ANY temperature was noted, children were not allowed to attend daycare until they had been cleared to do so by a physician.
Extra daily disinfection and sanitation measures. There are a lot of surfaces in my house, and children pretty much travel throughout my entire house during any given day. During peak virus times, parents may be asked to help supply disinfectant wipes, disinfectant spray, and hand sanitizer or soap to help fray the cost of disinfecting my entire house daily.