Family Day care offers parents lot of positives in the era of coronavirus.

Measures our Educators are taking for health and safety of Children in family day care settings during COVID 19

Family Day Care setting provides care to children in small group, with no more than Four underschool age children at a time. With fewer children and only one educator providing education and care to children along with strict hygiene practices, risk of infections is greatly reduced.

• Our educators are regularly educating children on Good Hygiene practices including the correct way of washing Hands.

• We Comply with National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidance Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services and have a COVID Safe plan.

• We ensure that any unwell children showing the signs and symptoms of COVID 19 remain at home.

• We ensure visitors to family day care residents are limited to those delivering or supporting essential services and operations.

• Anyone (staff and/or children) who is sick or has COVID 19-like symptoms or has been in contact with COVID positive person is prohibited from attending family day care premises.

• If a child or staff becomes ill while they are at the service, they are sent home as soon as possible. While awaiting collection by parents/guardians, the child should be cared for in an area so that he/she is isolated from other children at the service, to prevent the spread of virus.

• Our educators ensure that parent information sessions and interviews should meet physical distancing requirements of 1.5 metres between adults, or else be replaced with virtual alternatives.

• If educator or any of the educator’s resident is feeling unwell and showing symptoms of covid 19, educator not to provide care to children and get tested for COVID 19 immidiately and inform service.

Hygiene

Everyone can protect themselves and prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) by continuing effective hand hygiene.

• All staff and children undertake regular hand hygiene, particularly on arrival to the service, before and after eating, after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing or using the toilet. Educators are a good role model for the children and their parents/carers, so they actively talk about why everyone needs to wash their hands and the importance of everyone doing this.

• Educators make sure liquid soap and running water, or alcohol-based hand sanitiser, is available at the entrance of the facility and throughout.

•We ensure the highest hygiene practices amongst food handlers as per NHMRC guidance Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services. Sharing of food should not occur.

Arrival and departure

As the main risk of introducing coronavirus (COVID-19) to the early childhood environment is from adults, close proximity between adults is avoided, particularly during drop-off and pick-up.

• We consider the arrival and departure procedures for children and, where possible, minimise opportunities for parents and carers to gather in groups, especially in foyers and in children’s play areas. For example, for children to be dropped off and picked up in the service entrance or foyer, or to stagger start and finish times.

•Use of Thermometer and Temperature screening on arrival and Parents/Guardians to Wear face coverings at drop-off and pick-up times.

• Greeting parents and children at the front door in the morning and during pick up times allow for one-on-one communication with families while practising physical distancing and providing opportunities to consider whether children are showing any signs of being unwell.

• Shoes being removed before entering the premises. Considerations for learning environments.

• Our educators ensure that parents/guardians sanitise their hands before signing in and children wash their hands or sanitise hands after dropped in family day care.

• Educators have considered the setup of the room and the placement of the activities

Cleaning and facilities management

Environmental cleaning, coupled with regular hand hygiene, remains important to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission.

• Family Day Care Educators maintain full adherence to the cleaning guidelines, in addition: – clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces at least daily (e.g. play gyms, tables, hard- backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, desks, toilets, sinks). – wash and launder play items and toys including washable plush toys, as appropriate, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Hand hygiene before and after use of shared equipment is recommended. (For example, prior to a new activity).

• Excursions not be undertaken other than to local parks and only undertaken if parents agree to.

• Our educators closely monitor children in care, sharing of toys that have been placed in mouths is closely monitored and avoided.

Nappy changes

Educators change many nappies throughout the day, and we have strict protocol that they follow to do so.

Wash hands – gloves on – place paper towel on change table – dirty nappy off-clean child -dispose of nappy and paper- dispose of gloves- clean nappy on – put child down in a safe place – wash hands – wash child’s hands – disinfect and dry the changing mat -wash hands.