HEALTH AND HYGIENE COMMITMENT PLAN
INTRODUCTION (updated August 2021)
Enhance Family Day Care is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of everyone sharing our early childhood environment and ensuring children have a positive early education and care experience.
Our updated Health and Hygiene Commitment Plan highlights Family Day Care Association Queensland’s (FDCAQ) commitment to adhere to these measures and how we are achieving this commitment, in partnership with, our Family Day Care educators.
While educators can practice social distancing from parents/guardians, they cannot practice social distancing with very young children. Therefore, they need to be confident about the steps being taken to reduce the risk of any infection getting into their environment.
Enhance FDC plans must meet or exceed the requirements of the National Quality Standards Quality Area 2, the relevant legislated workplace health and safety requirements and the requirements of the federal, state and territory health authorities. At no point can any of our decisions supplant any workplace health and safety laws or the most recent health department advice on COVID-19.
STEP 1
Arrival and departure practices
We acknowledge that each Family Day Care service is unique, with each service using different areas of their residence as the approved learning areas. The drop off and pick up times can be a high traffic zone and needs to be closely monitored, ensuring social distancing is not compromised.
Enhance FDC has established procedures for educators to monitor the health of children in their service. Now, during the current environment, it is more important than ever to adhere to the following practices and procedures:
STEP 2
Physical/Social Distancing
Physical/Social distancing can be a challenge when working with young children. Here are some strategies to support physical/social distancing:
STEP 3
Workplace Precautions
Educators and parents both share responsibility for ensuring that infections are not brought into the FDC environment, to protect all children in care.
Families and educators must follow Mandatory Mask wearing guidelines from state or territory health authorities during times of restrictions and lockdowns.
STEP 4
Adequate Cleaning
High traffic areas in the FDC service must be cleaned every day, using detergent. This includes: doorknobs, handrails, light switches and iPads.
Sign in/out areas (iPads) should be wiped after each family has used them.
Toys and surfaces will be cleaned twice per day at minumum. Toys that have been mouthed by a child must be cleaned before being used by another child.
Ensure that bedding is not shared between children.
Bedding belonging to an unwell child must be washed immediately after the child leaves.
If the bedding is provided by the family, it must be sent home with the child and the family advised that it must be washed before the child returns.
STEP 5
Hygiene
Enhance FDC have well developed hygiene practices that meet the standards of the state and territory health authorities for COVID-19. It is important, particularly in this current pandemic, that every educator pays specific attention to their personal health and hygiene, as outlined below.
Educators who fall into the vulnerable category will be requested to ask a GP to complete a COVID-19 GP Medical Letter and cease work immediately.
Steps to follow in the event of a child or an educator visiting an exposure site.
If an educator, educator family member or FDC child/family suspects/or has visited an exposure site, they must immediately check the exposure locations listed by the state or territory health authority and follow the directives stated in relation to the type of contact. Eg. close, casual or secondary.
Steps to take in the event of a ‘if in time of outbreak’
Steps to follow in the event of a confirmed diagnosed of COVID-19.
The following rules apply if a child or educator has been diagnosed with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
The case must be confirmed by the state or territory health authority before action is taken and when directed:
a. All parents and staff must be informed immediately.
b. The educator must be closed immediately while contact tracing is completed.
c. The educator or family must follow advice and quarantine timeframes from the Queensland Public Health Unit.
d. All relevant departments and regulatory bodies must be notified.
e. Cleaning of the FDC environment must be completed in all registered areas, including toys and all high touch surfaces (i.e. door handles and light switches)
f. The FDC service and all FDC educators must follow the advice of the relevant health department.
REFERENCES
Interim infection prevention and control guidelines for the management of COVID-19 in healthcare settings Version 1.12 - 11 May 2020 – Queensland Health.
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0038/939656/qh-covid-19-Infection-control-guidelines.pdf
Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) coronavirus (COVID-19) statement, 3 April 2020 .
https://www.health.gov.au/news/australian-health-protection-principal-committee-ahppc-coronavirus-covid-19-statement-on-3-april-2020?utm_source=miragenews&utm_medium=miragenews&utm_campaign=news
INFORMATION PAPER FOR TRANSPORTING CHILDREN
If you decide to take children out on excursions or regular outings you will need to firstly risk manage your outing. This form needs to be filled out with parent permission forms. You should also familiarise yourself with the procedures outlined below. Please also refer to the Risk Management Plan information paper for further information.
Before travelling in car have:
In the case of your car breaking down it is important to consider the following
Actions:
Travelling on public transport
Reflective Questions to consider when taking children out in the car:
What would be your worst case scenario for a break down?
How would you plan your travel route?
Who can best assist you to get your car mobile again and why?
How would you ventilate the car if your electric windows were inoperable?
How would you occupy the children while you are waiting for assistance?