Session 2

1. Session 2

1.5. Page 2

CCS3150 Sesson 2

Session 2: Health, Safety, and Well-Being of Children

Communicable Disease Control

diarrhea: the passage of feces with an unformed or watery consistency and which may include blood, pus, or mucus

outbreak: when two or more people (staff and/or children) develop the same illness from an exposure to a common source, or if an illness is transmitted from person to person in your facility

Diarrhea is one of the most common symptoms of a person infected with an enteric, or intestinal, illness. An unusual occurrence of diarrhea among the children or staff in your child care facility could indicate an outbreak of an enteric illness.

Children who have diarrhea may also have additional symptoms of illness, such as a fever, an upset stomach, and/or vomiting.

If a child in your care is ill, you should follow these steps:

You need to identify an ill child quickly. You should be monitoring all the children in your care for any signs of illness, and your child care facility should keep a written daily record of all occurrences of diarrhea and/or vomiting in either the children or the staff.
Children with diarrhea or vomiting should be excluded from the child care facility until they recover.
Children who become ill while at the facility should be separated from the rest of the group to prevent the spread of infection, and they need to be cared for appropriately until they can be picked up by the parent and/or guardian.
Require parent(s) and/or guardian(s) to pick up their children if symptoms of diarrhea or vomiting occur.
Ensure proper handwashing practices are in place for both staff and children.

Follow these procedures if a staff member in your facility is ill:

Staff members with diarrhea or vomiting should be excluded from work until they are recovered, and they should be sent home if they become ill at work.
If you are ill, especially with diarrhea or vomiting, do not go to work.

It is necessary to contact the local public health inspector if any of the following circumstances occur:

two or more staff or children in your facility become ill with vomiting and/or diarrhea within seven days or less of each other
one or more staff or children in your facility develop bloody diarrhea
for any reason you feel concerned that an outbreak may be starting

Good Practices for Child Care Facilities

Sleeping Mats or Cots

Follow these steps:

Mats and/or cots must be in good repair and impervious to moisture. This is required so that sleeping surfaces can be properly cleaned and sanitized.
Mats and/or cots must be stored in a way that prevents the bedding from coming into contact with other mats or cots or other bedding.
Mats and/or cots should be individually identified and used exclusively by that child.

Diapering

Follow these diapering guidelines:

Change tables should be in good repair and impervious to moisture, and the table must be cleaned and disinfected between uses.
Before beginning, ensure you have all the necessary supplies within reach and wash your hands.
Place a disposable paper liner or change pad onto the change table.
Hold the child away from your clothes, and lay the child onto the changing surface.
Remove the diaper, and place it in a plastic bag or lined receptacle for disposal.

Clean the child with a single-service cloth, wiping from front to back. Discard the soiled cloth in the bag with the diaper. Should the child need to be washed completely, use a sink reserved for toileting activities only, and do not use a sink in a food-preparation area. Ensure the sink is disinfected immediately after you have completed diapering the child.

Use a single-service applicator to remove any ointment or creams from a container, and do not reuse the applicator once it has come into contact with the child.
Remove the paper liner or change pad and dispose of it, then diaper and dress the child.
Wash the child’s hands.
Clean and disinfect the diapering area and the equipment and supplies used.
Wash your hands.

Potty Chairs

Child-sized toilets or appropriate modified toilet seats are recommended over potty chairs.

Should potty chairs be required, the following guidelines are recommended:

Use potty chairs where children cannot reach toilets, other potty chairs, or other surfaces that may potentially be contaminated.
Use a potty chair that is smooth and non-absorbent to facilitate cleaning and disinfection, and use one with a removable waste container.
After the child has used the potty, empty the contents into the toilet.
Wash the child’s hands.
Rinse the waste container in a sink reserved for toilet activities only. Then wash and disinfect the potty chair.
Wash your hands.

Personal Items

Personal items for children must be used exclusively by the child for whom they are allocated.
The items should be identified with the child’s name and stored in a way so they do not come into contact with another item and are protected from contamination.
Such items include toothbrushes, facecloths and towels, combs and brushes, and diapering products.

Infection Control

infection: an invasion of your body by organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, or other germs, which may cause a disease or an illness

Infection controls are important for these reasons:

Organisms causing infection are usually found in body secretions, such as stool, or in tiny droplets produced by breathing, coughing, or sneezing.

Infections spread from person to person in different ways. For example, some infections are spread through the air; some through the contamination of food, toys, and other surfaces; and some are spread through contact with blood.
Small children can become infected with an illness more easily than adults because children have not yet developed all of their natural resistance.
Children’s exploratory behaviour, their size, and their level of mobility means that they are closer to the ground, more likely to put objects into their mouths, and less likely to do things like cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.
People, including children, can sometimes spread infections without being sick themselves. In addition, several infections are contagious before any symptoms appear or after an illness is over, while other infections may not have any symptoms at all.

Cleaning and sanitizing schedules are important for these reasons:

In order to help control or stop the spread of infection, it is important to follow a cleaning and sanitizing schedule for equipment, toys, and the facility in general.
Your facility’s cleaning schedule should identify when and where to use cleaning and sanitizing solutions and should also identify the approved sanitizer to be used.
The sanitizer used must be approved. For more information about which sanitizers to use, contact your local public health inspector. Some of the common sanitizers in use today include household bleach solutions and quaternary ammonium products.

These are additional infection control practices:

Ensure that children and staff are appropriately immunized.
When a child becomes ill, separate him or her from the other children.

Food Safety

General requirements are the following:

Child care facilities that process and/or provide perishable foods (for example, sandwiches, soups, or cheese and crackers) must have a separate food preparation area that is properly equipped to store, prepare, and serve food.
As a food handler, it is your responsibility to protect the food from contamination. This requires protecting the food from beginning to end, including how the food is stored, processed, and served.

Micro-organisms

Four main types of micro-organisms can cause illness.

Type	Description	Example	Where They Are Found
Bacteria	These are very small and can only be seen with a microscope.	salmonella or E. coli	in raw and undercooked meat, poultry, or eggs
Yeasts or Moulds	While most are harmless, some can produce toxins.	aspergillus	on grains or peanuts
Parasites	These are typically larger than bacteria, and some are described as small worms.	giardia	in the intestines of infected people and animals
Viruses	The smallest of all the micro-organisms are listed here.	hepatitis A	in the intestines of infected people

Food Tips

All foods can act as a source or carrier of micro-organisms. Illness can be transmitted to children or staff in a facility by foods that are not prepared safely. Micro-organisms listed have some basic requirements for growth. They need nutrients (food) to grow, along with warm temperatures—most need temperatures between 4°C and 60°C to grow rapidly. Micro-organisms also need enough time to divide.

As well, micro-organisms prefer moist foods, like chicken or cooked rice, and they don’t like dry or really salty or sugary foods, like crackers.

By controlling these factors, you can control the growth of harmful micro-organisms that may cause disease.

To control illnesses caused by micro-organisms, keep food out of the danger zone between 4°C and 60°C. Do not handle food if you are ill. Wash your hands before preparing or handling food; after coughing, sneezing, or visiting the washroom; and each time you change activities.