IMMUNISATION
Children who are younger than seven must meet the government’s immunisation requirements for the family to be eligible for CCR. Families can ask the FAO for information about immunisation requirements and exemptions.
Upon enrolment families must provide the centre with their child/s’ current immunisation history statement these records must be updated regularly as per the required legislation.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Our centres follow the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) “5th Edition Staying Healthy Preventing Infectious Diseases in Early Childhood Education and Care Services” 2013 as a minimum standard for dealing with illness and communicable diseases.
The way that children interact with each other and with adults in education and care service, means that diseases can quickly spread in a variety of ways. Children, especially younger children, have close contact with other people through playing or cuddling; they often put objects in their mouths; and they may not always cover their coughs or sneezes. Because some germs can survive on surfaces, children may touch a contaminated surface, then put their hands in their mouth and become infected. If a child has an ill sibling at home, they could also be incubating the illness, and risk bringing germs from home into the education and care service.
The most important ways to break the chain of infection and stop the spread of diseases are:
Effective hand hygiene
Exclusion of ill children, educators and other staff
Immunisation
Other strategies to prevent infection include:
Cough and sneeze etiquette
Appropriate use of gloves
Effective environmental cleaning
If a child is unwell at home, parents/guardians will be expected not to bring the child to the centre.
For further information, refer to the '5th Edition Staying Healthy Preventing Infectious Diseases in Early Childhood Education and Care Services' on the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council 2013 website.
EXCLUSIONS
Children and educators with infectious diseases will be excluded from the centre in accordance with the guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia ‘Staying Healthy in Child Care’. The parent (or emergency contact if the parent is non-contactable) will be called and asked to take their child home if a child appears unwell including, but not limited to the following symptoms
Cannot participate in the program as he/she would normally.
Has a fever/temperature
Is crying constantly as a result of discomfort due to illness.
Is reacting badly to medications
The decision to exclude or re-admit a child that has been sick will be the responsibility of the Director and based on the best interests of the child and in the interests of the other children in the centre. The decision will take into account:
Medical certificates
Educators experience
Diseases prevalent at the time of illness
Directors will take into consideration information provided on the Doctor’s Clearance Letter provided by the centre and completed and stamped by your GP
Any child who has been hospitalised should not return to care for at least 24 hours after being released from hospital if he/she is still unwell or is unable to participate in the program as he/she normally would. Any child suffering from vomiting or who experiences diarrhea should be kept at home for 24hours from the completion of the last incidence.
MEDICATION
There are times when it may be appropriate to administer medication to children while in care. Parents are asked to remember that if a child is unwell they should remain at home.
For the purpose of defining procedures Medication is broken into 3 categories, each of which has a different form;
Prescribed Medication including Oral Medication – this includes any medication, cream, lotion, powder prescribed by a medical practitioner and also any over the counter medication which is taken orally including Bonjella and other products applied in the mouth which may be ingested.
Over the Counter Creams, Lotions and Powders – this includes any substance applied to the skin which is NOT prescribed by a medical practitioner. Applies to over the counter substances only and includes baby powder, nappy creams, antiseptic creams and cosmetic creams.
Emergency and Long-Term Medication – this is for medication which is kept at the centre for use in an emergency or ongoing manner. It includes Epi-Pens and Asthma Inhalers. These forms must be completed by a Medical Practitioner and be accompanied by an Action Plan.
ADMINISTERING MEDICATION
The first dose/application of medication should be provided prior to attending care.
Medication of any type (as defined above) will not be administered unless the relevant form has been completed and signed by the parent/guardian.
If a nebuliser, inhaler or Epi-Pen is to be used, a family member must instruct educators in its use.
All prescribed medication must be in the original container provided by the pharmacy and Doctor’s label showing the name of the child, date of issue, expiry date and instructions.
Parent/guardian is to complete the medication form and give the medication to an educator to be placed in the designated location, out of reach of children.
No prescribed or oral medication will be given without a legible Pharmacist Label attached.
Medications belonging to siblings or out of date medications will not be administered.
Over the counter creams, lotions and powders must be supplied in the original packaging which specifies ingredients and directions for use and must be clearly labelled with the child’s name.
An Action Plan must be provided for Diabetes, Asthma, Anaphylaxis and other relevant conditions.
All medication must be handed to educators when arriving at the centre and collected from educators upon departure.
PARACETAMOL ADMINISTRATION:
Once Paracetamol is administered the parent/guardian is responsible for collecting the child from care within 30 minutes.
SLEEP AND REST TIMES
The Education and Care Services National Law & Regulations requires that programs must allow, in appropriate circumstances, for supervised periods for the children to rest or sleep. Educators use a range of age-appropriate techniques to meet children’s individual needs.
SUN PROTECTION
Our centre follows the Cancer Council’s Guidelines for Sun Protection in Early Childhood Settings. Our Sun Protection Policy aims to reduce the risk of diseases resulting from exposure to the sun and to develop healthy attitudes towards sun protection. Where children do not have a wide-brimmed or Legionnaires style hat, they will be required to play in the shade.
Our centres provide sunscreen for use by Educators, children and visitors. Sunscreen should be applied at least 20mins prior to sun exposure, for this reason we encourage families to apply sunscreen prior to attending care in the morning. We will re-apply in the afternoon before going back outside. Please advise Educators at your centre on arrival if you have not applied sunscreen in the morning so they can do so. Permission for the application of sunscreen is sought on the enrolment forms. If you would prefer that your child uses a different brand of sunscreen we ask you to advise educators who care for your child and provide this daily.
We strongly recommend that children wear clothing which provides sun protection including collars and sleeves.
APPROPRIATE CLOTHING
The clothing children wear while in at our service can influence the quality of their experiences as clothes can affect their health, safety, comfort, play and learning. For these reasons we ask that families consider the following in relation to clothing choices:
Clothes are comfortable to rest and sleep in.
Clothing accommodates a range of temperatures which may occur over the course of the day.
Clothes allow for growing independence (e.g. pants that can come off easily for toileting, shoes with easy fastenings, front openings for dresses, etc.).
Clothing that will neither restrict activity nor reduce safety (e.g. slippery shoes, long skirts).
Clothes are easy to launder and able to withstand wear and tear.
Clothes are cool, but still provide protection from the sun (e.g. covered shoulders and arms)
Please avoid good or special clothes as they may become dirty/stained in the course of play
FOOD AND NUTRITION
With allergies in mind, research indicates that nut allergies are currently the most common food allergy in children. For this reason we wish to minimise children's exposure to nuts. It is difficult to guarantee absolute elimination of any allergen but it is possible to minimise exposure to potential allergens through strategies and procedures. To help us implement these strategies, we are a nut free centre.
BIRTHDAYS
Birthdays are special times for children and the Centre enjoys sharing these occasions. We will provide a cup cake for each child’s birthday throughout the year.
TOYS AND OTHER TREASURES FROM HOME
We’ve chosen a wide range of developmentally appropriate equipment and items for our Centre. It would be appreciated if parents can explain to their children that the toys at the Centre are for everyone to share and that they cannot be taken home.
It would also be appreciated if your child could be dissuaded from bringing in toys from home. Educators cannot be responsible for toys which are brought from home, if they are lost or misplaced. If children wish to share something special with the group please consult with Educators in your child’s room so that a safe place to store the precious item can be sought.
If you have any CD’s that you would like to have played during rest time, please bring them in and we will be happy to play them for your child. Any visuals and audible items must be rated General.
