| Choosing a child care center is one of the most | | | | Find out if staff goes outside with the children to |
| important decisions that a working parent will make | | | | supervise and oversee their safety and wellbeing. If |
| to help ensure the health, safety, and overall well | | | | possible outdoor play areas should have a thick |
| being of their child while they must be away from | | | | covering of wood chips or soft rubber matting under |
| them. Thousands of children are treated in | | | | equipment to soften a fall. (The wood chips or |
| emergency rooms for injuries sustained at child care | | | | rubber matting is helpful but not required as they can |
| centers or childcare homes each year in addition to | | | | be an expensive purchase, especially for a private |
| those instances of abuse or neglect. Sadly, some of | | | | childcare home). Large childcare centers should keep |
| those children will lose their lives. | | | | playground equipment and things like trikes that are |
| There are precautions that can be taken t help | | | | used by older children separated from equipment for |
| ensure that a child will be properly cared for while a | | | | children under five. |
| parent is at work. The first question a parent should | | | | A fire and evacuation contingency plan, a floor plan |
| ask is whether the childcare center or childcare home | | | | and emergency contact numbers should be posted |
| has an open door policy. If the answer is no, that | | | | on a wall or a bulletin board where the can be easily |
| provider should not be selected. Next, a parent | | | | seen if needed. Depending on the area of the |
| should ask the potential provider whether they have | | | | country a parent lives in, providers should have a plan |
| been licensed by the state's childcare licensing | | | | for tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and other natural |
| department to operate a childcare center or home | | | | disasters. Ask staff if children are talked to about |
| and whether the certification is current. | | | | what to do if there is a fire on-site and if fire drills |
| Check to see that staff has been trained on blood | | | | are scheduled regularly. |
| borne pathogens. With diseases like AIDS, Hepatitis | | | | How a childcare provider stores medication is also |
| B, etc., and anti-biotic resistant strains of various | | | | important for the health of all children. Parents need |
| infections, make sure childcare staff always wear | | | | to ask the provider how they store medication that |
| plastic gloves when changing diapers and administering | | | | has to be kept cold, if there is a first aid kit that |
| first aid, and that gloves and diapers are disposed of | | | | includes ipecac, and if medication is kept in a locked |
| in a separate trash container labeled bodily fluids'. All | | | | cabinet or box and stored out of the reach of |
| trash cans should have plastic bags inside and locking | | | | children. Ask to see the dates on first aid supplies |
| lids. All trash should be taken out at the end of every | | | | and where the medication is stored. |
| day. | | | | In order to assure there will not be any risk from |
| Parents should not be afraid to ask to see the license | | | | medications children have been prescribed, parents |
| and most recent inspection date. Find out how many | | | | should try and schedule their child's medicine to be |
| infants, toddlers, and older children they are licensed | | | | administered at home. Of course, if a child has a |
| for and how many children are currently being cared | | | | medical condition like diabetes or asthma, this will not |
| for. Make sure staff has had a background check by | | | | be possible. Make sure the childcare provider stores |
| the local police department and the state | | | | each child's medication in a separate zip loc bag with |
| investigative agency. Health and Human Service | | | | the child's name on the bag as an extra precaution. |
| agencies and local police departments will usually | | | | Parents should also look to see if a provider posts |
| submit a request for a background check on a | | | | any allergies a child may have to a medication, food, |
| parent's behalf for a nominal fee. | | | | etc. where other parents cannot see the names of |
| Parents should also find out if childcare staff has | | | | the children while making sure that staff have easy |
| been trained on child abuse and neglect and the state | | | | access to the list. |
| reporting requirements for suspected child abuse. | | | | With the increase in unsafe toys and in light of the |
| With an increasing number of incidents of domestic | | | | recent recalls of hundreds of toys made overseas |
| violence and kidnapping by non-custodial parents and | | | | because of lead paint, choking hazards, etc. a parent |
| other caregivers, parents should find out if doors are | | | | should ask the childcare provider if they have a |
| kept locked during the hours the center is open for | | | | current and updated list of recalled products as a |
| operation and how the childcare provider ascertains | | | | visible reminder to not purchase potentially dangerous |
| that only approved persons are picking up a child and | | | | children's toys and other products, including infant |
| if they have a form that can be signed designating | | | | formula. If the provider does not have a list, parents |
| who can and cannot pick a child up? | | | | can ask them to get one as a list can be downloaded |
| Other training staff should have had is on positive | | | | and printed off the internet. |
| discipline, nutrition, child development, how to prepare | | | | Safety gates should be placed tightly in front of |
| and store food, food allergies and food borne | | | | stairs, kitchen and laundry doorways, basements, |
| illnesses and the proper storage and handling of food, | | | | porches, utility areas, or other places that are open. |
| etc. Staff should be re-certification annually on | | | | Ensure that basement doors have safety locks that |
| administering infant CPR, other CPR, choking, and the | | | | are high enough children cannot reach them and that |
| care of infants, toddlers and pre-school age children | | | | there are child safety locks on cupboards, |
| by the local American Red Cross, hospital, or other | | | | refrigerators, oven doors and microwaves. Check to |
| person or agency that have staff certified to be | | | | make sure cords are not looped, so there is no |
| trainers. Make sure there is enough staff to care for | | | | potential for hanging. |
| the number of children in the center or private | | | | For infants, childcare providers should have cribs with |
| childcare home. | | | | a certification safety seal, slats should be no more |
| Take a walk through the childcare center or childcare | | | | than two and three eighths inches apart and |
| home, including outdoor play areas, and the kitchen | | | | mattresses should fit snugly. Ask providers how |
| where food is prepared. Make sure cleaning supplies | | | | infants are placed in a crib to sleep, making sure they |
| and other hazardous materials are stored in | | | | are put down on their backs without pillows or |
| containers with tight fitting lids and that spray bottles | | | | comforters. |
| are turned off and everything placed in a locked | | | | Once a childcare center or home has been selected |
| cabinet well out the reach of children, and that | | | | and a child is in attendance, parents need to be |
| surfaces are clean. Many accidents in childcare | | | | sensitive to any changes in their child's behavior. If |
| centers occur when children accidentally come into | | | | the child develops a fear of the provider, a staff |
| contact with toxic materials because someone forgot | | | | person, or going to the childcare center parents |
| to properly store cleaning supplies or failed to return | | | | should follow up by asking heir child questions and by |
| them to a locked cabinet. | | | | scheduling a meeting with the center or home |
| To ensure their child's safety parents should make | | | | operator to discuss any concerns. If a child continues |
| sure that tables are wiped down with warm soapy | | | | to exhibit fear, cries or screams and clings to their |
| water after meals and that other cleaning materials | | | | parent or other caregiver, parents might want to |
| that may be more toxic are only used to wipe down | | | | consider finding another childcare home or center. |
| tables, cupboards, and bathrooms after the child care | | | | Parents can never do too much to make sure that |
| center or home is closed for the day and is followed | | | | their child, or the child of a friend or relative, will be |
| up with a secondary wipe down with just hot water. | | | | cared for in a healthy and safe childcare environment. |
| Also look around and make sure electrical outlets that | | | | These guidelines will help in selecting the best |
| have safety covers in place to keep children from | | | | provider and help a parent be less stressed at work. |
| sticking things into the sockets and getting shocked. | | | | A checklist could be made to help with inspecting the |
| Outdoor play areas should contain equipment that is | | | | childcare setting a child will exposed to. |
| of a proper height for younger children to minimize | | | | As an early childhood education consultant I have, at |
| the danger of getting injured by a fall. Check to see | | | | times, had to inspect a childcare center or private |
| that there is ample room between pieces of | | | | childcare home. The guidelines set down in this article |
| equipment, that the play area is completely enclosed | | | | are things that I have looked at and received training |
| with a locking gate and that there are no splinters, | | | | for. When choosing a childcare provider a parent can |
| jagged wires, etc. children could get hurt on. | | | | never be too careful. |