Updated: Aug 1st, 2024

Children Safety Considerations Table and Checklist Essay

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Early childhood education is an incredibly responsible activity for the caregiver, whose priority should be safety. Because of a child’s young age, inexperience, inability to understand the consequences, and causes, there is a risk of regular trauma in the classroom. These can include bruises from falls, injuries, and scratches from fights or collisions, along with traumas that a child has been exposed to during tasks. Moreover, the range of potential threats includes biological contamination with pathogens if one of the children was previously ill.

Ways of transmission of such microorganisms may include unwashed hands, insufficient hygiene of the body, lack of sanitation of the premises. Taking all this into account, it is clear that in order to ensure the safe development of children, it is essential to create a protected environment, which is the professional responsibility of the educator (Marotz, 2014). Designing a protected environment is a complex of measures aimed at achieving comfort in the physical, physiological and psychological spheres of life of a preschooler.

Every pupil going to classes should clearly understand that they will not be traumatized by classmates or even caregivers within the educational institution. On the other hand, parents should know that their child will be provided with high-quality support in training and education, taking into account the latest sanitary and pedagogical rules. This knowledge becomes a guarantee of the harmonious and calm development of the child. For this reason, a descriptive table is provided in this work, which indicates the categories of safety and the conditions for achieving them used in my future professional practice.

Health and Safety Indicator Standards	Licensing Requirements	Accreditation Requirements	Additional Suggestion
Staff-to-child ratio for infants	The ratio is 1:5 or 2:11 (Arizona Department, 2010).	1:4, the maximum is 8 infants (NAEYC, 2018).	1:3 or 1:4, not more than 8 infants in class (“Ratios and group,” 2017).
Staff-to-child ratio for toddlers	The ratio is 1:6 or 2:13 (for 1 year), 1:8 (for 2 years), 1:13 (for 3 years) (Arizona Department, 2010).	1:6, the maximum is 12 toddlers (NAEYC, 2018)	1:4 or 1:6, not more than 12 children (“Ratios and group,” 2017).
Daily health checks	The administrator of the institution conducts daily checks on the health of arriving children (Arizona Department, 2010)	The child’s health check is carried out quickly after the arrival of the child, and possible injuries are examined (“Caring for our children,” 2020)	The examination should not take long, but the caregiver should thoroughly examine the child’s superficial diseases. If anything is found, they should talk to the parents.
Frequency of diaper checks	Diapers are changed as needed, as soon as the baby gets dirty (Arizona Department, 2010).	Checking diapers every two hours while they are awake or always while they are asleep (NAYEC, 2019)	It is necessary to change it about 5-6 times a day (“When to change,” 2020).
Oral hygiene	Oral hygiene accessories are kept in a clean, separate place, and labeled (Arizona Department, 2010).	After feeding, the child’s teeth are cleaned with a disposable cloth and brushed at least twice a day (NAYEC, 2019).	Brush for 2 minutes at least twice a day, scheduled visits to the dentist, safe to swallow toothpaste (“Dental hygiene,” 2020).
Back-to-sleep policies	The baby goes to sleep on their back unless the parents demand otherwise (Arizona Department, 2010).	Children are placed on their backs on a hard surface (NAYEC, 2019).	Place the children on the back on a hard surface, in the room with the parent (Task Force, 2016).
Exclusion standards	If a child/employee shows signs of illness or infestation, they are removed from the institution until recovery (Arizona Department, 2010).	If the child is contagious, they are expelled before the arrival of the parents or doctors (NAYEC, 2019).	Among others, the exclusion of children may be justified by their unwanted behavior and deliberate harm to others (Gonser, 2017).
Sanitization standards	Children wash their hands with soap and warm water before eating; household objects, toys, and school supplies are sanitized daily (Arizona Department, 2010).	Disinfectants are expert tested and used only for their intended purpose, surfaces and toys are cleaned daily (NAYEC, 2019).	Only use safe detergents for surfaces, clothing, dishes, and toys (Childcare, 2019).
Safety checks of play equipment	In the zone of games remains only stable and quality equipment, not broken and not sharp (Arizona Department, 2010).	The equipment must be free of gripping points, sharp ledges, and any risk of skin crushing (NAYEC, 2019).	Games equipment should be examined for potential hidden dangers to injury.
Procedure for reporting abuse and neglect	A licensee goes to local law enforcement agencies if there is reason to suspect that a child is being abused (Arizona Department, 2010).	If an employee or child is accused of abuse, a written statement is required. The suspect must not be punished until proven guilty (NAYEC, 2019)	The caregiver should discuss the problem with the principal and then contact the local services (Childcare, 2019).
Immunization requirements	A licensee must obtain vaccination certificates from the child, and available diseases, according to Arizona Department rules (2010).	All children must have confirmation of vaccination (NAYEC, 2019).	If there are children in the classroom who do not have the financial means to get vaccinated, the service provider may apply for inclusion in the federal VFC plan (“Arizona Vaccines for children,” 2019).
Emergency evacuation procedures	Monthly fire and emergency evacuation drills involving all parties (Arizona Department, 2010).	Each class should have an emergency action plan and space plans. Educational practice should be conducted at least once a month (NAYEC, 2019).	The examination should be conducted annually, copies of room plans should be posted on the floors, and each teacher should have the contact details of the student (“Emergency and evacuation policy,” 2018).
Documentation for injury	The Licensee will provide information to parents or social services about the injuries that have occurred and, if possible, attach photos/videos. An official representative of the institution signs the document, and one copy remains in the archive while the other is given to the parent/social service (Arizona Department, 2010).	Stakeholders (principal, parents, teacher, child) are involved in crisis management practices, and a mutual agreement is signed and placed in an archive (NAYEC, 2019).	It is advisable to have a record of the injuries and to keep this record for a period of five years after the child leaves the institution.

References

Arizona Department of Health Services Office of Child Care Licensing. (2010). Arizona administrative code, and Arizona revised statutes for child care facilities [PDF document]. Web.

Arizona vaccines for children [PDF document]. (2019). Web.

Caring for our children (CFOC). (2020). Web.

Childcare. (2019). Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting in child care. Web.

Childcare. (2019). Guidelines for Child Care Providers on How to Report Suspected Abuse or Neglect. Web.

Dental hygiene: How to care for your child’s teeth. (2020). Web.

Early learning program accreditation standards & assessment items. (2018). Web.

Emergency and evacuation policy. (2018). Web.

Gonser, S. (2017). Why is it so hard to stop suspending kindergarteners? Web.

Marotz, L. R. (2014). Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

NAEYC. (2018). Staff-to-child ratio and class size [PDF document]. Web.

NAYEC/National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2019). NAEYC early learning program accreditation standards and assessment items [PDF document]. Web.

Ratios and group sizes. (2017). Web.

Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. (2016). SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths: updated 2016 recommendations for a safe infant sleeping environment. Pediatrics, 138(5), 1-14.

When to change your baby’s diaper? (2020). Web.

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