Health And Safety

At
all times safety is a prime concern.
TEACHERS MUST PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO EVERY SAFETY DETAIL.  It is important that you read and adhere
to all MDS policies and procedures as outlined in the MDS OSHA MANUAL.  Babies are never to be left unattended.

·
Wash you hands
when you enter the classroom.  Wash
them as often as possible.

·
Baby’s
hands are to be washed often.

·
Read and know the
allergies of each child in the class.

·
Babies are only
to be fed what their parents send in.
If a teacher feels a food might cause a child to choke- do not feed it
to the baby.

·
Every care giving
interaction must be charted in detail and initialed.

·
Babies are never
to be given items that are “chokeable” in
size.

·
Toys that have
been put in a child’s mouth must be put in a bag to be washed.

·
The “Needs
and Services Plan” must be posted on the back on the chart and
continually referred to.  We never
deviate from the parents written instructions without the parents’ verbal
authorization.

·
Pay close
attention when about to give the baby a bottle to make sure is the correct one.

The
Environment:

The
classroom environment is a major part of a baby’s world.  The room needs to be as homey and comfy
as possible.  Furniture needs to be
arranged so babies can freely explore.
There are to be soft places where babies can crawl and relax.

The
room needs to be esthetically pleasing.
It is wonderful to display photographs of each child and his
family.  Often each family makes a
photo collage for their child and we laminate it and hang it at eye level.  Toys, books, dolls, and stuffed animals
need to be available for babies to reach.
The babies need areas to climb, crawl, and be away form the group.

Cleanliness
in the environment is of utmost importance.  The cribs must disinfected daily at
closing or in between naps if used by more than one baby, sheets and blankets
washed daily, toys washed daily, and the environment disinfected daily.

Nourishment,
Bottles and Food

Children are never to be forced or cajoled to eat.  Bottles and meals are to be a
pleasurable, social time.  It is
important that teachers prepared the food before the children and sitting and
waiting.  Whenever possible teachers
need to support self-feeding and autonomy..

1.      Teachers are to wash their hands before preparing or
serving food.

2.      Teachers are to help babies and toddlers wash their
hands before eating.

3.      Infants are only to be fed what the parents send
in.  There is no exception to
this rule.

4.      All bottles must be premixed and prepared by the
parents at home ready to be served.
Teachers may NEVER mix formula or prepare bottles.

5.      All bottles and sippy cups
must be plastic (no glass) and labeled with the child’s name (including
the caps) and date (masking tape works well for this).

6.      All pacifiers need to be labeled with the
child’s name.

7.      All formula, milk, and breast milk must be kept in the
refrigerator prior to heating to serve.

8.      All formula, milk, and breast milk must be discarded
after one feeding.  A fresh bottle
is to be used with each feeding.
NEVER reheat a bottle for a child.

9.      All bottles go home at the end of each day.  Used bottles need to be rinsed out
before returning them to the parent.
Used bottles are NOT washed.

10.  All breast milk must be heated in a bottle warmer, NOT
the microwave.  The microwave may be
used to warm milk and formula.  Be
sure to not heat it for more than 30 to 45 seconds.  BE SURE TO SHAKE THE BOTTLE TO MIX
THE LIQUID AND TEST THE TEMPERATURE BEFORE GIVING IT TO THE CHILD TO MAKE SURE
THERE ARE NO HOT SPOTS.

11.  Bottles may never be propped up for an infant.  Feeding is an intimate time that
promotes bonding and connection.  A
teacher needs to hold a baby and look at him when giving a bottle.

12.  A baby old enough to hold her own bottle still needs
to be held.  A baby might sit next
to a teacher, but the connection is still important.  Older babies may not walk around with
bottles.

13.  The liquid in bottles or cups must be discarded after
being served.

14.  Baby food in a jar must be transferred to a plastic
bowl before serving.  Any leftover
food in bowls needs to be discarded after one feeding.  Unused food left in the infant jar must
be refrigerated and can be stored up to 72 hours.  Jars must be labeled with the child’s
name and the date it was opened.

15.  Teachers may mix infant cereal with formula/milk or
water.

16.  Served food must be discarded after a meal.

17.  In toddler environments, all perishable snack food
that we serve must be kept in the refrigerator or freezer and labeled with the
date it was opened.  Once opened the
food can be kept for no longer that 72 hours.  Mild or predated items must be tossed
out when the date expires.

18.  All perishable food that we open and date must be
discarded and refrigerators cleaned out every Friday.  This includes all staff food.

19.  All non-perishable snack foods such as crackers,
flour, cereals, etc. must be stored in sealed containers labeled with the date
they are opened.

20.  A back up supply of infant food and formula must be
kept on site.  Parents provide this
for their child.

Diapering
Procedures:

Diapering
is a very intimate, special time and a dynamic opportunity to bond and
communicate with one child.

·
Gather all the
supplies you might need.  This
includes: wipes, paper towels, diapers, plastic gloves, fresh clothes, and
sanitizing solutions.

·
Keep one hand on
the child.

·
Involve the
child.  Explain that you can see or
smell that they need a diaper change.
Say, “I need to pick you up and change your diaper”.  Pick the baby and bring the baby to the
changing table.

·
Talk to the child
during diapering procedures.  Tell
him what you are doing, why you are doing it, ask questions, and make faces,
smile, and sing.

·
Put paper on the
table.

·
Put gloves on
your hands.

·
Remove the
clothes from the child.  Remove the
diaper.  With one hand on the child
throw the wet diaper away.  If it is
soiled place it in a plastic bag and seal the bag.

·
Wipe the child
using wipes or water (as prescribed by parents).  Always wipe a child front to back.  Make sure you clean the child
thoroughly.

·
Apply creams or
ointments as prescribed by parents.

·
Put a clean
diaper on the child.

·
Remove the gloves
from you hands.

·
Put clothes back
on the child.

·
Remove the child
from the changing table.

·
Remove the paper
from the table, spray the table with envirocare, and
wipe.

·
Wash your
hands.

·
Wash the
child’s hands.  Holding small
children over a sink could be frightening and awkward, so take extra care.

·
Chart the diaper
change and initial what you chart.

Walks
in strollers:

Walks
are a wonderful opportunity for babies to learn.  They experience the world through smells,
sounds, sights, objects they touch, and weather conditions.  Teachers need to use walks as
opportunities to expose babies to the world.  Walks are not a time for teachers to
hang out and chat.

·
Only teachers
who are approved by the director may take children for a walk.

·
Chat and sing
with babies while you put them in the strollers.  Waiting is difficult for them.

·
Children must be
properly secured in safety equipment.
Babies may not be propped with pillows.  If a child is not strong enough to sit
up – he shouldn’t.

·
Walks are not a
method to get children to sleep.
Children who fall asleep must be transferred to a crib upon their
return.

·
A walk should be
twenty to thirty minutes.
Occasionally a longer walk is appropriate.  Teachers are to sign the group out
and write the route they are taking.

·
If a teacher is
alone she must stay in front of the school, and take the cell phone or
walk-talkie with her.

·
Teachers are to
talk and sing to children as they walk.

·
Babies are never
to be propped up with pillows or have bottles while on walks.

·
The field trip
emergency backpack must be taken on all walks.

·
Substitutes are
never to walk babies alone.