Managing Illness in Early Childhood
A childs health and wellbeing is of utmost importance in an early child care setting. It can be common, especially during the colder months, for children to come home from an early learning centre with cold and flu symptoms. As we all know, illnesses can come on fast and can spread quickly. Both children and adults are constantly exposed to various health risks as they move about their busy lives. We understand that when a child falls sick this can feel overwhelming for families, but we believe that there are some simple steps to follow to reduce the likelihood of occurrences.
Here are some tips to support your child staying healthy during the cold and flu seasons:
- Hygiene: regular hand washing with soap and warm water is the best prevention for the spread of illness. Support children to wash their hands regularly, cover their coughs and dispose of tissues hygienically.
- Nutrition: Children who eat a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables will support their immune system and assist them in fighting off illnesses. Staying hydrated is also important in preventing and recovering from illness.
- Physical activity: exercise should not be limited to the warmer months. Physical activity can support children’s immune system and contributes to them having healthy bodies.
- Sleep and rest: It is important for children to have sufficient sleep in early childhood. Adequate sleep is essential for maintaining good health.
- Immunisations: Ensure your child’s immunisations are up to date. Speak to your GP about any additional immunisations that might be suitable for your child, eg flu vaccinations. Your GP will also be able to advise on other suggestions to stay healthy during the colder months.
How we manage illness in care at Sage Early Learning Centre:
In our childcare we believe in quality practices to safeguard children’s health. Here are some of our common practices in managing illnesses.
- Education: Health and Hygiene is a reoccurring topic in our curriculum. Educators take the time to discuss and plan experiences around healthy eating, physical activity and hygiene habits. Children start learning about their health from a young age.
- Policies and procedures: We have a number of policies in relation to children’s health and managing illnesses. Our policies are available on our online platform for families to learn about the procedures we have in place.
- Following exclusion guidelines: If a child presents with symptoms of illness we follow the Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services – 6th Edition exclusion guidelines. These guidelines specify how long a child must stay home to reduce the risk of spreading the illness to others. This resource is also available to families on our online platform.
- Cleaning practices: Cleaning is embedded in our practices on a daily basis to ensure our centre remains hygenic. During outbreaks, disinfecting and sanitising is more frequent ensuring that equipment, furniture and play spaces are thoroughly cleaned.
We do advise parents to keep their child at home for rest and recovery if the child has a fever (38 degrees C or higher), if the child is vomiting or has Diarrhoea, or if they are infectious and have a contagious illness be avoid the risk of spreading across our early learning centre. Working in partnership with families to follow all the steps above can support all children and adults in preventing the spread of illness.
