Why hygiene and safety is important in childcare

Parents and daycare supervisors should ensure that they themselves are involved in the appropriate nappy changing and disposal procedures for children. Childcare institutions should invest in Baby Change Tables which have protective straps and antibacterial polyester material, ensuring that children remain safe, comfortable and hygienic.

The durable aesthetic design also features steel hinges for extra support and stability, enabling parents or carers to change nappies efficiently. These are accompanied by Nappy Disposal Units which have easy disposal mechanisms. The entire bin is replaced to minimise germ transfer and contamination. Fighting germs and infection should always be a top priority for any childcare facility. By displaying these posters across various childcare facilities and environments, proper hygiene standards can be effectively reinforced.

Kids should be taught the proper hand washing habits, how to maintain cleanliness, regularly flushing toilets, rubbish disposal and frequently drinking water. Childcare hygiene is extremely important and should be enforced as early as possible. Every parent, carer and supervisor should be taking the steps to enforce proper hygiene and sanitation methods for children.

Being properly trained to deal with the bumps that go with having a bunch of hyperactive kids is crucial to childcare work. As is having a full and functional first aid kit. Make sure your centre has all the latest and greatest first aid equipment for dealing with boisterous kids quickly and effectively. Wash and disinfect everything your childcare kids might touch before and after every single session.

Put minds at rest with a professional approach to food storage and preparation. Breakdowns in correct toileting procedures are one of the biggest causes of germs in childcare centres. Be it a nappy-based loo experience or a trip to the toilet for the older kids, everyone in your centre needs to be up to speed with both nappy changing technique and sanitation. If changes are made then every member of staff and all service users must be updated at the earliest opportunity.

Early years providers are required to conduct regular risk assessments, which identify aspects of the environment that must be checked on a regular basis.

This involves deciding what should be done to prevent harm and ensuring that the relevant actions are taken and are updated whenever necessary. This is particularly important in an early years setting, as children should be able to grow, develop and take appropriate risks through physically challenging play.

Children must have the opportunity and be encouraged to work out what is not safe and what they should do when faced with risk. Settings should have comprehensive risk assessments that inform their procedures and a competent person in charge of implementation.

Staff in all settings, and at every level, should be involved in reviewing risk assessments, as they are the ones with first-hand knowledge of whether control measures are effective and can give an informed view to help update them accordingly.

This is important as we work within the requirements of the EYFS and move away from the idea of a risk assessment being an annual or biannual event, carried out under headings that rarely change. Parents have an active role to play too. They should be made aware of their responsibilities such as closing gates behind them and not letting strangers into the building, and also encouraged to report any potential hazards to staff — it is good practice to invite them to take part in reviews of procedures whenever possible.

Personal hygiene routines affect our health but also other aspects of life, such as social interactions or our ability to work. It gives them the tools they need to become independent and do things on their own. When children develop these skills, they also practice other early learning building blocks such as gross and fine motor skills, sensory processing, language comprehension and the ability to follow simple routines.

At Petit ELJ, we inspire children to engage in rich child-led experiences. Practising good hygiene habits are one of several self-care areas that we promote.

We also support families and children with physical literacy and developing a healthy approach to food and nutrition. Our Educators value a holistic learning approach where children come first. Submit this form and we will get in touch within 48 hours to schedule your tour. The importance of nurturing good hygiene habits.

How do you help children learn basic hygiene practices in child care?