Health Policies & Procedures
First-aid procedures
Red Cross first-aid and poison center guidelines will be followed.
The provider has been certified by the American Red Cross in First Aid and CPR for Infants, Children and Adults.
A first-aid kit will be on the premises at all times.
Emergency numbers are always available.
Parents/guardians will be notified of accidents and an injury record is kept for each child.
Indoor and Playground Safety Checklists are completed daily, weekly, and seasonally.
Medical emergencies
Immediate first-aid will be given.
The ambulance will be called, and paramedic recommendations followed.
Parents/guardians will be notified as soon as possible.
When parents/guardians are not available, the emergency contact will be called.
Parents/guardians are responsible for any expenses as a result of emergency room care, ambulance, etc.
The hospital used for emergencies is Redington-Fairview General Hospital.
Illness
Symptoms requiring removal of a child from the facility:
Fever—AND sore throat, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, earache, irritability, or confusion. Fever is defined as having a temperature of 100ºF taken orally.
Diarrhea—runny, watery, or bloody stools
Vomiting
Body rash with fever
Sore throat with fever and swollen glands
Severe coughing—child gets red or blue in the face or makes high-pitched whooping sound after coughing
Eye discharge—thick mucus or pus draining from the eye, or pink eye
Yellowish skin or eyes
Live lice or nits
Child is irritable, continuously crying, or requires more attention than the staff can give without compromising the health and safety of other children in childcare.
If your child becomes ill during the day, you will be notified and expected to pick your child up as soon as possible.
If your child will be absent from childcare due to illness, please notify childcare by phone or text the previous evening or the morning of the day of absence. The child may return to care when they have been symptom free for 24 hours without use of medication.
Health records
Immunization records and the date of your child’s last physical examination must be kept up to date.
Please notify childcare of any special health problems or concerns regarding your child or family.
Communicable disease prevention and reporting
Your child must be current in his/her immunizations. Lil’ Bears must maintain a current record of your child’s immunizations.
Your child will be kept isolated from other children as much as possible if suspected that your child has a communicable disease. Communicable diseases will be reported to the Department of Health.
Each child will be observed daily for illness.
Individual bedding, glasses, etc., will be used to minimize the spread of infection.
Hand washing, diapering, sanitizing, and laundering policies
The provider will wash her hands before and after diapering, toileting, eating, handling, and preparing food, and handling contaminated materials and before and after administering medication.
All children will wash their hands before and after eating, after each diaper change or toileting, before and after handling food and before and after medication administration.
Diapers will be changed regularly and immediately after a bowel movement. Bottoms will be thoroughly cleaned with baby wipes. Other types of preparations (ointments, powders, etc.) must be provided by parents/guardians.
The diapering area will be sanitized after each use, and contaminated utensils/toys will be sanitized.
Bedding will be laundered as needed or once a week.
Bottles and nipples will be washed and rinsed again with hot water before filling.
Specific Cleaning/Sanitizing/Disinfecting checklists are used daily and weekly in the Child Care Area, Food Prep Area, Toileting and Diapering Area and Sleeping Area.
Management of medication
Must have the first and last name of the child on the container.
Must have been prescribed by a licensed health professional. Name and phone number of the health professional who ordered the medication must be on the container.
Must be in the original package or container.
Must have an expiration date on the container.
Must have the date the prescription was filled on the container.
Must have specific instruction for giving, storing and disposing of the medication.
Must be in a child-proof container.
Must have a signed and completed Medication Authorization form for each medication to be given
Medication is stored in a lock box at childcare.
Incident Reporting
When a serious incident involves a child in this family childcare, an incident report is made. The information is provided to the parent/guardian, licensing board and insurance company. The purpose of this report is to inform and follow up on actions taken concerning the incident. Incident reports are made for the following incidents:
Injuries involving serious accidents, falls (2’ or more) or motor vehicles
Unexpected illness, contagious disease
Poisoning or medication error
Aggressive or unusual behavior
Child death
Food Allergies
Each child with a food allergy will have a Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan prepared by the child’s primary care provider.
Parents/guardians will provide necessary medications.
Lil’ Bears will take steps to prevent exposure to the specific food(s) to which the child is allergic, learn to recognize the symptoms of an allergic reactions and become knowledgeable in treating the allergic reactions.
Should an allergic reaction occur, we will promptly and properly administer the prescribed medication and notify the parents/guardians immediately.
Parents/guardians will also be notified if exposure to the allergen is suspected.
Individual child’s food allergies will be posted in the kitchen.
A copy of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan will be included in the Emergency Preparedness bag.
Oral Health
We care about the health of children’s teeth. To help children stay happy and healthy and avoid the discomfort and expense of tooth decay Lil’ Bears follows the practices below. Children should have their first visit with the dentist when they get their first tooth or by one year of age.
Tooth Brushing with Fluoride Toothpaste
We provide small, soft-bristled toothbrushes for use during daily tooth brushing. We rinse, store, and replace them as needed to make sure they are sanitary.
With family permission, we provide children an age-appropriate amount of ADA-approved fluoride toothpaste. For children under three years of age, that is a rice-sized smear. For children three and older, that is a pea-sized drop.
For infants with teeth, the provider brushes their teeth once a day. Children three years of age and older brush their own teeth once a day with adult supervision.
We strive to make tooth brushing fun by singing, praising children, and staying positive and enthusiastic. We encourage families to do the same at home.
Foods and Drinks to Support Oral Health
Infants and toddlers are never put to sleep with bottles or sippy cups as this can cause tooth decay. We work with families to find other ways to comfort young children before naptime.
Infants and toddlers are not allowed to walk around with bottles or sippy cups during playtime, so they don’t fall and hurt their teeth.
Oral Health Education & Professional Development
We offer preschool children oral health lessons one time per month, and we take advantage of “teachable moments” when we can.
We offer families educational materials on oral health twice a year and try to communicate one-on-one when we notice changes in children’s oral health.
We seek professional development in oral health twice a year.
Child Abuse & Neglect
The Maine Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) operates the statewide hotline for child abuse and neglect. Highly trained staff is available to guide callers through the process of making a report of suspected abuse and/or neglect. Anyone who suspects an individual of child abuse or neglect is encouraged to call the Protective Hotline.
CALL: 1-800-452-1999
Deaf/Hard of Hearing call Maine Relay 711
As Mandated Reporters, it is the providers responsibility when suspecting abuse or neglect to immediately report this information to Child Protective Intake Services, 1-800-452-1999, TTY 1-800-963-9490 which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
An Incident Report, including the details of the allegation or suspicion, the date Child Protective Intake was called, and whether or not the parent/legal guardian was notified of the allegation must be completed by the provider. If the parent/legal guardian is notified of the allegation, the provider will determine how and what information will be shared, depending on the circumstances, and this will be indicated on the Incident Report.
Any report of child abuse and/or neglect against the provider will be made available to families enrolled and all requirements from OCFS will be fulfilled.
Policy and Procedures-Abuse and Neglect
Lil’ Bears believes it is important to remember each child is part of a family and a strong relationship between us that supports you in raising a healthy, happy child is our goal. We understand every household has a different parenting style and at Lil’ Bears we strive to understand and respect the rights of parents. However, we also know some parenting styles may place a child at risk of harm and/or injury. Lil’ Bears sees a responsibility to provide support and education to our families in an effort to prevent child abuse and neglect. Maine law identifies any childcare worker as a mandated reporter, as such we MUST contact the appropriate authorities when faced with the suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected or witnesses an incident. Mandated reporters may not report anonymously. Mandated reporters are required to take training in child abuse/neglect recognition, prevention, and mandated reporting laws.
Reporting Abuse and Neglect
A report must be made when the reporter suspects or has reason to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected. Waiting for absolute proof may result in significant risk to the child. It is not the provider’s /staff’s job to validate the abuse; this is the job of CPS caseworkers or law enforcement officers who have been trained to undertake this type of investigation. When a provider or staff member suspects that a child is being abused or neglected, they will follow this procedure:
When there is reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, provider and/or staff shall report it to the appropriate community agency.
When providing information about the family, provider and/or staff will be conscious of the rights of children and parents. Great care will be taken to ensure the confidentiality of information and to share it only with those persons officially involved in the case.
If there is any question about whether the abuse/neglect is reportable, the provider will consult their state licensing specialist for advice about the procedure to follow.
Written documentation is made of suspected abuse/neglect.
The provider will follow up to ensure that appropriate action has been taken.
When appropriate, parents or legal guardians will be informed that the referral has been made.
Provider and staff will follow any of the mandated procedures by DHHS.
The provider will preserve the confidentiality of all records pertaining to child abuse and neglect.
The provider will represent Lil’ Bears in any discussions with the child’s family.
When an employee/house member is suspected or accused of abuse/neglect of a child at Lil’ Bears, the plan of action is as follows:
When there is reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, provider and/or staff shall report it to the appropriate community agency.
Documentation of the accusation is made.
Once notified of the accusation Provider and/or Staff give a written account of the situation in question.
DHHS/licensing specialist is notified of the situation.
Lil’ Bears will follow the procedure outlined by DHHS for this type of situation.
• Staff who plead guilty to or are convicted of child abuse/neglect must inform the Provider.
Once cases of child abuse or neglect have been reported, they must be investigated and verified. All states and territories have specific requirements for the initial response by agencies receiving reports of child abuse and neglect. In most states, a screening process is used to determine whether a report will be accepted; this process includes a review of the report in the context of the state’s definitions of child abuse and neglect. Every state mandates that child protective services begin an investigation within a timely manner, usually within 72 hours, and in even less time when there is reasonable cause to believe that the child is in imminent danger.
There are many things childcare providers can do to prevent abuse and protect themselves from false allegations. Reviewing program policies, hiring procedures and play areas with prevention in mind can help eliminate potential problems. Educating staff and volunteers about child abuse is a critical part of creating a safe environment for adults and children. The following guidelines may help keep children safe and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect in the childcare setting.
The Family Child Care Licensing Rule requires criminal background checks for all staff, volunteers, and house members.
Check at least two references before hiring a staff person and volunteer if unknown to you.
Access ongoing training to learn current information about the care, development, and guidance of children and about child abuse issues.
Maintain appropriate child-to-staff ratios and small group sizes.
Do not allow any adult present on the Premises to be alone with one child out of view of other adults and children.
Encourage parents/legal guardians to join in your activities and to drop into the program whenever they can.
Make sure all staff members and volunteers understand appropriate and inappropriate ways to interact with children. The following are some basic behavior guidelines:
Never hit or strike a child.
Do not use physical punishment of any kind.
Hugs are okay if they are appropriate, as long as the child and the provider/staff are both comfortable. Take clues from the body language of the child, or simply ask, “Is it okay for me to hug you?” As the adult, if you do not feel comfortable with a hug from a child, tell them in a gentle way and suggest an alternative, such as holding your hand or touching your shoulder or arm.
Respect a child’s personal boundaries. Like adults, children have preferences about contact. Remember that some individuals like being close and getting hugs, but others don’t like a lot of close contact.
Infants and toddlers are at an especially high risk of being abused or neglected, partly because they cannot tell someone about the abuse. If these ages are in care, providers/staff need to access training focused on child development specifically for infants and toddlers.
Design of Child Care Environment
Childcare environment is set up to make it easy to supervise all of the children at once.
Play and other areas are designed so that children can be viewed at all times.
Quiet areas are included for children while still being sure those areas can be seen by the provider/staff.
Bathroom time needs close supervision. Allowing some privacy in the bathroom if a child requests it does not necessarily mean a closed door. One child uses the bathroom at a time. Mixed ages, as well as the needs of the individual children in care, will direct my policies.
Consideration is given to the appropriate ages and capacity for the program.
Any report of child abuse and/or neglect against the provider will be made available to families enrolled and all requirements from OCFS will be fulfilled.
Other
Smoking is never allowed on the premises during childcare hours.
Toys from home should not be brought to childcare for safety reasons. Lil’ Bears is not responsible for lost or broken personal items.
Shoes and boots that are worn outside must be removed upon entering the childcare home.
Smoke detectors are located in the kitchen, living room, playroom, laundry room, each bedroom, and the basement. A carbon monoxide detector is located in the playroom.
Alcohol and medication are located in areas inaccessible to children.