Staying Healthy in Childcare

It is the responsibility of early childhood education and care services to protect young children from infectious diseases.

This means that all staff working in these services must be aware of the guidelines for preventing disease transmission. In this blog post, we will discuss some of these guidelines, so that you can ensure we are providing a safe and healthy environment for your child.

How we work to protect the health of your child

At My Cubby House Early Learning, we follow the guidelines as published by the National Health and Medical Research Council in our approach to caring for the health of children in our care. For more information on these guidelines, you can visit: 

https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/reports/clinical%20guidelines/ch55-staying-healthy.pdf 

The first step in preventing disease transmission is to ensure that all staff members are up-to-date with their vaccinations. This includes vaccinations for common childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella. It is also important for staff members to have influenza and of course COVID19 vaccinations. These vaccines help to protect both children and adults from serious illness.

It is also important to follow good hygiene practices in early childhood education and care services. This includes regular hand washing, using alcohol-based hand sanitisers, and cleaning surfaces with disinfectant. Good hygiene practices help to reduce the spread of germs and prevent outbreaks of disease.

Finally, it is important to have a plan in place for dealing with sick children. This includes having a separate area for sick children, and ensuring that all staff members know how to recognise the signs and symptoms of common childhood illnesses. If a child becomes ill, it is important to follow the correct procedure for isolating them from other children and seeking medical advice.

What parents can do to help keep their child healthy in childcare?

By following the guidelines set out by the National Health and Medical Research Council, early childhood education and care services can provide a safe and healthy environment for children. 

As a parent, there are also some things you can do to help prevent the spread of disease in early childhood education and care services.

• Make sure your child is up-to-date with their vaccinations. This includes vaccinations for common childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella.

• Ensure your child practices good hygiene habits. This includes regular hand washing, using alcohol-based hand sanitisers, and cleaning surfaces with disinfectant.

• If your child becomes ill, keep them at home and seek medical advice.

If you have any questions about this article and how My Cubby House cares for the health of your child, please don’t hesitate to contact us 07 5527 1679.