HEALTH POLICIES

Policy 28.0

Staff and Program Principal must maintain health policies in order to provide a healthy environment minimizing illness and contamination.

 

CPR & FIRST AID POLICY

The BEGIN PROGRAM requires the program Principal and all teacher and assistant teacher qualified staff to hold current American Heart Association certification in First Aid and CPR.  This training must be completed within the first 60 days of employment.  If a situation should arise in which First Aid or CPR must be administered, the staff must administer according to his/her training.

 

If a child has an injury and requires additional care instructions must be made in writing prior to the child returning to our faculty. This is to ensure that your child is given the highest level of care and we are able to complete the tasks asked of us.

 

 

HANDWASHING POLICY

St. Mary’s School Begin Program strongly believes that high-quality hand washing is important to maintaining good health for the children and the staff.  Hand washing guides are posted at each sink utilized.

1. Before and after all meals and snacks
2. Before and after toileting and diaper changes
3. After sneezing, coughing or wiping a runny nose.
4. After playing outside
5. After playing in a water table, sand box or play dough

Fingernail Care

• Keep fingernails short and clean.
• Staff should moisten cuticles to avoid hangnails.
• Clear fingernail polish that is well maintained may be worn; avoid colored nail polish since it is difficult to see dirt under nails.
• Use fingernail brushes to remove dirt and stool from under nails. Use the nailbrush after diapering or assisting with the toilet activities, before and after food preparation, and whenever nails are soiled.
• Artificial nails are highly discouraged from use since they are known to harbor germs even with good hand washing techniques.

Use of Gloves

Always follow the glove use policies established at this facility:

• Meal serving
• Diaper Changes
• Application of sun screen if unable to wash hands between each child’s application

General information

• Gloves are NOT a substitute for hand washing.
• Throw away single-use gloves after each use.
• Hands must be washed after removing gloves.
• Gloves should fit well.
• Gloves should be durable, so they do not rip or tear during use.

Policy 28.1

SICK CHILD CARE

A child with any of the following conditions or behaviors is a sick child and must be excluded from BEGIN PROGRAM because we are not licensed to operate a sick care program. If the child becomes sick while at the center, the child must be isolated from other children in care and the parent called immediately. A sick child must be supervised at all times. The license holder must exclude a child:

• With a reportable illness or condition that the commissioner of health determines to be contagious and a physician determines has not had sufficient treatment to reduce the health risk to others
• With chicken pox until the child is no longer infectious or until the lesions are crusted over
• Who has vomited one or more times since admission that day
• Who has had three or more abnormally loose stools since admission that day
• Who has contagious conjunctivitis or pus draining from the eye
• Who has a bacterial infection such as streptococcal pharyngitis or impetigo and has not completed 24 hours of antimicrobial therapy
• Who has unexplained lethargy
• Who has lice, ringworm or scabies that is untreated and contagious to others
• Who has a 100.5 degree Fahrenheit axillary or higher temperature of undiagnosed origin before fever reducing medication is given
• Who has an undiagnosed rash or a rash attributable to a contagious illness or condition
• Who has significant respiratory distress
• Who is not able to participate in child care program activities with reasonable comfort
• Who requires more care than the program staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children in care

 

A child that has become ill while in our care will remain in their assigned classroom but to limit the exposure on the contagious illness we will try to limit peer interaction and sanitize items the child plays with till the parent arrives.

If a child becomes ill at home with one of the communicable diseases parent’s MUST let the center know within 24 hours exclusive of weekends and holidays.

If a child becomes ill with a communicable disease the center will notify you by posting a notification from the Infectious Disease Handbook on the entry doors and each classroom will post on the sign in/out clip boards.

 

 

Policy 28.2

MEDICATIONS

We do NOT administer prescription or non-prescription medicine except for an exception basis. The exception is given by the Principal or designee. If an expectation is obtained the following must be followed:

• Medications for a child must be kept in the original container including non-prescription items. We can only administer medications if the child’s name is on the prescription bottle.  Many pharmacists will give you two bottles of medicine, one for home and one for the Center.
• A written medication form must be filled out by the parent with instructions for use.  BEGIN PROGRAM staff members cannot give medication to your child unless this form is completed.  NO child is allowed to have medications in possession including the child’s school-bag.
• All medications will be kept by staff in a locked box in the classroom. The staff will be responsible for administering the medication and recording the time and amount of dose given. Any expired or unused portion will be returned to the parent or destroyed.
• Cough drops are not allowed due to the hazard of choking.
• If you have given any medication (prescribed or over the counter) to your child before he or she arrives in the morning, please inform the teachers so they can be alert for any possible reactions.

 

The following non-prescribed items: diapering products, sunscreen lotions, teething gel and insect repellants will be given with parental permission and according to manufacturer’s instructions unless there are written instructions provided by a licensed physician or dentist.

 

All over-the-counter (OTC) products (non-medicine products) require written parental permission on a yearly basis. The following may be OTC product may be applied to my child in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions on the original container.

 

Lock boxes are located in each classroom to store all medicines and products. If they need to stored in the refrigerator then the lock box will be placed in the refrigerator in the infant room.

Policy 28.3

CHILDREN WITH SEVERE ALLERGIES

For the safety of your child, parents are required to provide a signed copy of the “Authorization For Emergency Care for Children with Severe Allergies” form, detailing any allergies, food or otherwise, from which their child suffers, at the time of enrollment or when the allergy is discovered. This form must be completely filled out by the child’s physician and parent(s) or legal guardian(s), and must be updated every six months, or more frequently, as needed. In addition to this form, parents must provide a copy of any additional physician’s orders and procedural guidelines relating to the prevention and treatment of the child’s allergy. This form can be obtained by request from the principal.

 

Parents must also execute a “Release and Waiver of Liability for Administering Emergency

Treatment to Children with Severe Allergies” form. This form releases St. Mary’s School from liability for administering treatment to children with severe allergies and taking other necessary actions set forth in the “Authorization for Emergency Care for Children with Severe Allergies” form, provided we exercise reasonable care in taking such actions.

 

The BEGIN Program will develop an individual child program plan, which will include a description of the allergy, specific triggers, avoidance techniques, symptoms of an allergic reaction, procedures for responding to an allergic reaction, including medication, dosages, and a doctor’s contact information. Each staff person who is responsible for carrying out the individual care plan will review and follow the plan. The individual child care program plan will be updated at least once every calendar year or following any changes made to allergy-related information in the child’s record. All staff members will be informed of the changes. The allergy information will be available at all times including onsite, when on field trips, or during transportation. All food allergy information will be readily available to staff persons in the area where food is prepared and served to the child. The BEGIN Program will contact the child’s parent or legal guardian ASAP in any instance of exposure or allergic reaction that requires medication or medical intervention. Emergency medical services will be called if/when epinephrine is administered to a child in the BEGIN Program.

 

Any medication required to treat an allergic reaction must be provided in accordance with the

Medication Policy detailed herein.

**Allergy Information will be maintained in individual student files in the office.

SCHOOL CLEANING POLICY

 

1. All toys are washed and disinfected if they are mouthed by a child, daily.
2. All toys are washed and disinfected, monthly or as needed.
3. Cloth items in class are laundered weekly unless cleaning is needed more frequently
4. Toilets and sinks are cleaned and disinfected daily and more if needed.
5. Tables and food prep areas are disinfected before and after every meal.
6. Blankets are sent home for washing every week
7. Cots are disinfected each day.

1. Floors are swept, mopped and vacuumed daily
2. Safety checks for hazardous objects daily

 

 

Policy 28.3

OCCUPATIONAL BLOOD BORNE PATHOGENS

1. Employees should handle all children as if they were contagious or carrying an infectious disease. All bodily fluids of unknown origin should be treated as though they contain infectious disease.
2. Centers train employees annually as to the use of Universal Precautions in the workplace. Written policies should be developed regarding the use of Universal Precautions. Disciplinary actions should be taken when employees do not follow the Universal Precautions policy.
3. If used consistently and appropriately, Universal Precautions help to reduce the risk of spreading infection from one child to another child. They will also reduce the risk of becoming infected with Blood Borne diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis, etc.
4. The consistent and appropriate use of Universal Precautions protects the client’s right of privacy with regard to their HIV status. If staff is consistently and appropriately using Universal Precautions they do not have a “need to know” the HIV status of the children they serve.
5. Agencies must have a reporting procedure for employees to report exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM). Exposure means direct contact with blood or OPIM by any part of the body not covered with a protective barrier. Protective barriers are typically, latex or vinyl gloves. Clothes, paper towels, napkins, and rags are not considered protective barriers because the bodily fluid can be absorbed into the material and then contact the skin.
6. Employees for whom it is reasonably anticipated that they will have contact with blood or OPIM are required to be given a pre-exposure Hepatitis B vaccination, at the expense of the employer. In the childcare setting, the employees covered by this regulation would be those who, as part of their job requirements are designated as a first-aider and/or any other job function which has the potential to contact blood or OPIM. Employees involved in an exposure incident, who have not been previously vaccinated, must receive the Hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of the exposure incident. The employee has the right to refuse the vaccination, however, the employer should obtain a signed waiver documenting that the vaccine was offered and the employee refused. Employees who initially decline the Hepatitis B vaccine are permitted to change their mind at a later date and receive the vaccine at the employers expense if they continue to be at risk for exposure.
7. Following exposure, the employee must be referred to a medical consultant at the expense of the employer. The employer must provide the medical consultant with a copy of the OSHA regulation, and the exposure report. The medical consultants’ written opinion will be forwarded to the employer, and the employer must provide the employee with a copy of the opinion within 15 days of the completed evaluation. It is the employer’s responsibility to retain the medical records relevant to the exposure incident. These records must be maintained separate from the employee’s personnel file, in a file that is has restricted access and is kept under lock and key.
8. BODILY FLUIDS POLICY – In regards to the handling and disposal of bodily fluids, the BEGIN program will have custodial staff immediately clean any surfaces that cone into contact with potentially infectious bodily fluids, including blood and vomit with the proper cleaning materials. Any blood contaminated materials will be disposed of in a plastic bag with a secure tie. Sharp items used for a child with special needs will be disposed of in a “sharps container” and the container will be stored out of reach of a child.

 

PREGNANT WOMEN: COMMUNICABLE DISEASES OF CONCERN

Working in a child care setting may involve frequent exposure to childhood diseases.  Certain communicable diseases can have serious consequences for pregnant women and their fetuses.  Women who are pregnant or considering getting pregnant should discuss their occupational risks with their physician.  St. Mary’s School Begin Program is not responsible for your risks if you choose to work during your pregnancy.

The following communicable diseases can have serious consequences for pregnant women and their fetuses:

 

• Chicken Pox or Shingles
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Fifth Disease
• Hepatitis B
• HIV/Aids
• Rubella (German Measles)

• MRSA