Chapter 10: Promoting Good Health for Quality Early Childhood Education Environments

Health Policies Needed • The overall quality of the early child-hood education health care setting is not good • One in 5 children have not received vaccinations • As many as 4 out of 10 preschoolers exhibit one or more problem behaviors, and approximately 1 in 10 children are at risk for mental health © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Health Policies • Help manage risk to good physical and mental health • Should be developed and directed for children and staff • Promote healthy practices • Lay the foundation for the atmosphere of the early childhood education environment © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Designing a Health Policy • Establish a process • What process will be followed? • Assign responsibility • Who is responsible for making sure process is followed? • Offer guidance for action • What needs to be done? Are there any time parameters or limitations? © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Providing High-Quality Child Care = • Goal One Maximize health status of children • Goal Two  Minimize risk to health, safety, and well-being of children • Goal Three  Use education as a tool to promote health and reduce risk • Goal Four Recognize the importance of guidelines • Goal Five  Practice cultural competence • Goal Six  Develop partnerships with families to provide a caring community © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Children’s Health Records • Include • health history and updates • immunization records • injury reports • assessment and screening results • allergies • medication log and permission • health communication history • reports of illness in care • growth chart © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Staff Health • Health History includes • name, etc., and physician’s name • pre-employment exam • immunization record • TB test • respiratory problems • hearing and vision screenings © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Maintaining Staff Health • Exposure to infectious diseases • exposure to children who are ill • Stress • can include job burnout • Risk for back injury • Know correct way to bend, lift, sit • Potential exposure to environmental hazards • arts and crafts, cleaning supplies, and pesticides © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Providing a Mentally Healthy Environment • Check to make sure that your early childhood education environment • establishes a good relationship with parents • respect and mutual communication • responds with consistency, predictability, and regularity © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Providing a Mentally Healthy Environment (continued) • Establishes daily routine = security • Provides support and emotional assurance for child • attention • affection • respect • mutual communication © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Providing a Mentally Healthy Environment (continued) • Helps children to express and identify emotions • Redirects anger and aggression through play and discussion • Provides quiet area so that the child can be away from stimulation © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Providing a Mentally Healthy Environment (continued) • Values each child’s uniqueness, including culture • Promotes responsive caregiving • Is flexible and reasonable in expectations © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Reality Check—Children with Stress • Children deal with many stressful events and life changes • Children have less time to relax and more time in planned activities • Children’s reaction to stress may be visible in physical, emotional, or behavioral responses © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Reality Check—Children with Stress (continued) • Physical reaction to stress includes • headaches • stomach aches • diarrhea • no appetite • overeating • rapid speech or stuttering © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Reality Check—Children with Stress (continued) • Emotional reaction can be expressed in • regressive behaviors • withdrawing, toileting accidents, clingy, too dependent • aggressive behaviors • acting out, biting, hitting, vandalizing, difficulty with social interactions, frustration © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Reality Check—Children with Stress (continued) • A child who is oversensitive or tends to worry may experience stress more easily • When children are too young to express themselves, they may be more vulnerable to stress • Even securely attached infants or toddlers have been found to have higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, when adjusting to a new care situation © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Reality Check—Children with Stress (continued) • If the teacher helps the child manage stress, it will lower the risks for later physical or emotional problems. The best ways include: • Structure the environment so that it supports the child • Allow the child to express concerns • Listen to what the child says and respond in supportive ways • The environment should be protective and prevent more stress to the child © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Reality Check: Second Hand Smoke • Can lead to: • respiratory diseases (asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, allergies) • middle ear infections • SIDS • vitamin C deficiency • behavioral problems © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Implications for Teachers • Role-Modeling • Exhibits knowledge and practice of healthy behavior • Cultural Competence • increasing diversity • For Families • open line of communication about health issues • Education © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Chapter 10: Promoting Good Health for Quality Early Childhood Education Environments