Promoting Children’s Safety

2. 11 Promoting Children’s Safety

3. Key Concepts The child care staff is responsible for providing a safe environment for the children. Child care staff members are required by law to report known or suspected cases of child abuse.

4. Objectives List objectives for maintaining a safe environment for children. Describe guidelines for promoting children’s safety. Name ways to promote and practice fire safety in an early childhood program. Outline the procedures for treating poisonings. continued

5. Objectives Recognize the signs of child neglect and abuse. Teach children how to resist child abuse. Explain types of liability as a child care provider.

6. Safety Objectives Gino Santa Maria/Shutterstock.com Supervise the children at all times Maintain (at least) minimum required adult-child ratios Develop safety limits Provide a safe environment Practice fire safety continued

7. Safety Objectives Protect children from extreme temperatures and the sun Develop plans for weather emergencies Know emergency procedures for accidental poisoning Recognize signs of child abuse and report any known or suspect cases Teach children to protect themselves from sexual assault

8. Supervise the Children at All Times • Young children are fearless, unpredictable, and quick; lack judgment • Keep your back to the classroom wall to supervise a group of children • Arrange furniture/equipment for sufficient space michaeljung/Shutterstock.com

9. Maintain Minimum Adult-Child Ratio • Adult-child ratio relates directly to safety • A classroom should never have fewer adults than required by state law • Failure to comply with licensing rules may result in the center’s license being revoked • If a child is injured, and staff/child ratios are not being met, center staff may be held liable

10. Develop Safety Limits • Safety limits or rules include • walk indoors; do not run • use blocks for building, not hitting • wipe up spills right away • tell the teacher when equipment breaks greenland/Shutterstock.com continued

11. Develop Safety Limits • fasten seatbelts when riding in center’s van • always use equipment safety straps • climb the ladder to go up the slide; do not walk up the slide from bottom • wear helmets when riding bikes

12. Provide a Safe Environment • Toys and materials • Check toys for safety often • Playground equipment • Must be safe and supervised • Transportation • Age-appropriate safety rules • Building security • Locks, cameras, outlets Thomas M Perkins/Shutterstock.com

13. Practice Fire Safety • Several fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors as needed • Kitchen, classrooms, laundry • Train staff on use • Most states require monthly fire drills • Use class rosters to take roll • Well-planned, approved evacuation procedures • Include fire prevention into the curriculum • Show the stop, drop, and roll technique

14. Sun Safety The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause skin damage, eye damage, and cancer Limit children’s exposure to sun, especially between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Apply broad-spectrum sun protection factor (SPF) or 30 or higher 30 minutes before children go outdoors continued

15. Sun Safety Reapply at least SPF 30 or higher sun protection every two hours or after water play Avoid using sunscreens on infants younger than 6 months Encourage children to wear hats with brims and sunglasses argo74/Shutterstock.com

16. Weather or Disaster Emergencies • Have an emergency plan for disaster threats • Types depend on geographical area • Practice drills monthly with thechildren • Be prepared for weather emergencies • Possible school closing plan • Keep battery-operated radio and supplies • Some schools use a NOAA Weather Radio (NWR)

17. Did You Know? Studies show that children under five years of age account for almost two-thirds of poisonings that occur each year.

18. Poisonings • Nearly any substance can, under certain conditions, be poisonous • When in doubt, always assume the worst • Telephone the nearest poison control center • Avoidkeeping the following in the facility: • emetics • caustics • toxic house or garden plants

19. Neglect and Abuse ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock.com • 90 percent of abusers are family members • Nonaccidental physical injury • Neglect • Emotional abuse • Sexual abuse • Reporting child abuse • Background checks • Protection education • Helping families

20. Nonaccidental Physical Injury • Nonaccidental physical Injury is physical abuse inflicted on purpose • Bruises, bites, burns, and other injuries • Children often refuse to discuss their injuries • These children often wear clothing to hide their injuries; inappropriate for the weather • Can have unusual fear of adults

21. Neglect • Neglect takes many forms • May be deprived of proper food, medical and dental care, shelter, and/or clothing • Teachers should be alert to signs of neglect • Child often arrives early or picked up late • Inappropriate or unclean clothing • Poor hygiene or medical problems • Always hungry or fatigued

22. Emotional Abuse Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com Emotional abuse is the abuse of child’s self-concept through words or actions Children lose self-esteem due to emotional abuse continued

23. Emotional Abuse • Look for the following signs: • refusal to talk • unusual or unpredictable behavior • rare smiling or laughter • excessive clinging or crying • withdrawn or destructive behavior • poor motor coordination for age • fear of adults

24. Sexual Abuse • Sexual abuse: forcing a child to observe or engage in sexual activities with an adult • Incest: sexual abuse by a relative • Molestation: sexual contact made by someone outside the family with a child • May be physical signs and pain complaints • Sexually abused children commonly have poor peer behaviors

25. Mandated Reporting • Health care workers, social workers, school administrators, and teachers are mandated reporters of child abuse • They are required by law to report any known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect • Read your state’s statute • Learn your legal responsibilities • How to comply with the laws

26. Background Checks Pixotico/Shutterstock.com • Early childhood programs need to protect themselves from potential child abuse accusations • Licensing requirement in many states • Conducted on every new employee, student teacher, janitor, kitchen staff, administrative staff, and volunteers

27. Protection Education Safety education must go beyond the classroom 10% of child abusers are strangers; the other 90% are people known to the children 23% of perpetrators are children under the age of 18 Teach children to resist sexual attacks; how to say No continued

28. Protection Education • Teach children about good and bad touches • A bad touch is any of the following: • a touch the child does not want or like • a touch that hurts or makes the child uncomfortable • a secret touch • any touch to the child’s private parts continued

29. Protection Education Valua Vitaly/Shutterstock.com • A good touch • is wanted and appropriate • does not make the child uncomfortable

30. Helping Families Parenting classes Self-help or support groups Financial planning Family counseling Help lines Preventive health care programs for children Nutrition for healthful living

31. Liability • By law, child care center directors are liable for the acts of their employees; keep constant watch over the environment • Types of liability • Forms • Privacy law Pressmaster/Shutterstock.com

32. Types of Liability • Child care staff can be punished for failing to follow state licensing rules and regulations • Liability can include • obtaining a signed health form from a licensed physician for each child • requiring a staff member to have an approved physical and background check • providing safe indoor and outdoor equipment continued

33. Types of Liability • operating with the required adult-child ratios • providing proper supervision • providing proper food storage • maintaining fence and door locks in proper condition • providing staff with information about children’s special needs • refraining from corporal (physical) punishment continued

34. Types of Liability • providing a safe building • removing children who lack self-control and are a hazard to themselves as well as others • covering electrical outlets MAGGIE 100/Shutterstock.com

35. Forms designer491/Shutterstock.com • Every center should develop a number of forms related to the health and safety of the children • Standard incident report form • Various permission forms

36. Privacy Law Privacy law: a child’s records cannot be given to anyone other than the parents without the parents’ permission Parents have unlimited access to all of their child’s records kept by the center

37. Reflect Describe some of the guidelines for promoting children’s safety. Joe Belanger/Shutterstock.com

38. Review • Name four basic objectives toward the goal of providing a safe child care environment. Give one example of why each objective is important. • (Name four. See text page 206. Examples will vary.) • True or false. Child care staff members are not required to report known or suspected child abuse cases to the authorities. • False.