Learning Log 4/27, 4/28

Why do we need safety policies?

Policies to Protect Children

Just as children need warm blankets to protect them from the cold, they also need policies to
guarantee other aspects of their safety and health when they are cared for away from home.
Select one of the safety and health topics to investigate. Read about the topic in your textbooks.
Then write on the blanket a policy for a child care facility to address this topic. Choose from
these topics:
Safety
1. Supervision
2. Adult-child ratios
3. Safe environment
Health
1.

Medical examinations for staff

2.

Medical care information for children

3.

Giving medications

4.

Care for mildly ill children

5.

Exclusion of ill children

6.

Sanitary practices

7.

Parent access

At Land of fun learning we require Medical care information for children. Each record should be
accessible by each teacher or administrator. This is for the safety benefit of your child. We need
to be aware of any special care. By us knowing your childs medical condition, it will help us care
your child even better . These records are safe with us and no one else other than teachers and
administrators will have access to this records like these are always kept locked up.

What Does the Handbook Say?

Using the same safety and health topic that you used for Policies to Protect Children, consult the
NC Child Care Handbook to find policies that regulate North Carolina child care centers with regard
to your topic. Keep in mind that policies in this handbook are licensing standards that must be met
in order to operate legally as a child care facility. After checking the Handbook, complete this
form.
Your Health or Safety Topic: Emergency Medical Care Information on Children
On what pages did you find statutes/requirements that address this topic? Chapter 12 page 12.5
and 12.6
Copy the requirement below as found in the Handbook.
Emergency medical care information must be on file for each individual child.Each child's emergency
medical care information must be easily accessible to caregiving staff so that it can be taken with
the child whenever emergency medical care is necessary.Each child's parent, legal guardian, or fulltime custodian must sign a statement authorizing the center to obtain medical attention for the
child in an emergency. This statement must be on file on the first day the child attends the center.
It shall be easily accessible to staff so that it can be taken with the child whenever emergency
medical treatment is necessary.

Now, paraphrase the requirement --- i.e., write it in your own words.
Teachers must have on file any special medical care a child needs in case of an emergency. Each
childs medical info must be easily accessible. Must be on file on the childs first day of attendance.
Each Childs parent or guardian must sign a statement authorizing the center to have access to the
childs medical attentions.

Now, compare the Handbook citation with the policy you wrote in Policies to Protect Children.
How are they similar? How do they differ?
It was similar to mine because we both have that it needs to be easy accessible and that it is for
the safety of you children and that only teachers have access to it. The difference is that they had
it more specific and more stricter.

Imagine that you are the director of a child care center. What challenges do you think you might
face in meeting these standards?