CD9: Health, Safety and Nutrition

1. CD9: Health, Safety and Nutrition Chapter 3: Health Appraisals Chapter 4: Health Assessment Tools

2. Driving Concepts • Not all children have equal access to health care • Teacher Roles: • Early identification of child health problems • Help parents get appropriate treatment and care • Encourage a healthy life style

3. Partner Talk-About: Be Alert! • Pg 53 case study: Joshua • What are you alerted to? • What will you say to the parent? • What will you say to other staff members?

4. Teacher’s Considerations: • Collect information from a variety of sources before forming any conclusion • What impact could these symptoms have on the child? • What impact could these symptoms have on the group?

5. Observation is Health Assessment • Sight: how does the child look? • Smell: is there bad breath or body odor? • Touch: is the child’s skin warm, cold or clammy? • Sound: does breathing sound raspy, labored, or shallow? Does the child stutter? • Vera’s senses story.....

6. Ages and Stages • What is normal and typical for each child? • What are the atypical symptoms and behaviors telling you? • What will you do as a result of your observation?

7. Health Assessment Tools • First and best tool is the Daily Health Check • If you suspect a chronic illness or problem, share your concerns and get information • Your director • Local school district nurse or health specialist • Public health nurse • Community Care Licensing

8. Daily Health Checks • Daily Health Check form • Method and routine • Do health checks daily & document the results • Keep the parent present until end of check • Dismiss child to classroom OR back to parent • Record observations daily and file in classroom health file

9. Benefits to Daily Health Checks • Teachers are morally and professionally obligated to ensure health and safety of all children in their care • Sending sick children home reduces the spread of illness to all children and staff • DO NOT diagnose! • Describe your observations and concerns • Recommend the parent take the child to a health care provider

10. Involving Parents • Encourage! • Show interest and care for their child(ren) • Offer assistance and resources • Build trust by being friendly and accountable • Build effective and genuine lines of communication • Share information with the parents • Carol’s daughter and green poop.....

11. Parent Responsibility • “Primary responsibility for a child’s health care always belongs to the parents. Parents are ultimately responsible for maintaining their child’s health, following through with recommendations, and obtaining any necessary evaluations and treatments.” (pg 62) • Partner talk: What gets in the way of parents taking responsibility?

12. How Teachers Help Parents Become Responsible • Be supportive! • Help parents understand the importance of routine check-ups • Offer community and specialized resources • Ensure health consistency between school and home • Katy and her Achilles' tendons .... OR ..... Benjamin and his eyes

13. Promoting Health in Quality Programs • Document all observations • Perform daily health checks • Continually monitor each child’s health • Identify potential health needs for each child • Teacher Michele’s discovery ....

14. General Resources • Any problem: Appendix C, pgs 524-530 • Growth problem: Appendix B, pgs 518-523 • Infection Control in child care settings • Vision problem: Blind Children’s Resource Center • Hearing problem: American Speech, Language and Hearing Association

15. Developmental problem: Learning Disabilities Association of America • Dental problem: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry • Physical problem: American Academy of Pediatrics • Asthma problem: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

16. Ethical Conduct and Making Tough Decisions “Above All, Do No Harm!”