CHNS.P42 Pets and animals' policy

PETS AND ANIMALS POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	42
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	Children's Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	27/05/2022
Review date:	As required

Having a relationship with a pet and/or animal can help children develop a caring disposition and skills such as nurturing, responsibility, empathy, and improved communication. Having a pet in an early childhood environment enables children who are not otherwise exposed to animals learn these skills. Animals and pets can become part of the educational program and lead to activities and learning about other animals. The safety of children is of utmost importance, as is the wellbeing of any animal in the FDC space. Enhance FDC will ensure that no animal poses a health or safety risk to children, adults or visitors in approved FDC services, and that animals have their own space away from children’s play areas.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)
Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.1, 2.2, 2.2.1
Quality Area 3: Physical Environment: 3.1.2, 3.2.3

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS
116 Assessments of family day care residences and approved family day care venues
116 (2) Risk posed by animals
168 Education and care services must have policies and procedures

Purpose

Having pets and animal experiences can be a valuable part of children’s education enriching their learning about nature, ecology and relationships. Enhance FDC aims to provide a safe, hygienic and humane environment for all animals and pets that visit or reside at the FDC residence, including educating children in the proper care of animals.

Policy

This policy applies to Enhance FDC management, Practice Mentors, Educators, children, families, and visitors.

Implementation

The National Quality Standard encourages Educators to understand and appreciate the natural environment and the interdependence between people, plants, animals and the land. Animals help children from a young age learn to care for other living things. When kept as pets, animals can teach a sense of responsibility, caring and tolerance. As part of the enrolment and induction process, Educators must discuss with all potential families any pets that are kept on the premises and outline their involvement in the program.

Educators should discuss any potential new pets prior to purchase with their Practice Mentor to ensure that they will be approved by Enhance FDC. Educators should also consult their local vet to ascertain whether the type of pet is suitable for interactions with young children, and with families to ensure that they will provide permission for their child to interact with the potential pet.

An assessment of animals involved in the program is conducted at least annually to ensure that the health, safety and wellbeing of children who are educated and cared for by the service are protected and reviewed whenever there is a change in the environment, conditions or number of animals on the property.

Considerations

Some animals, such as lizards, turtles, snakes, spiders and tropical fish may not be appropriate choices for Family Day Care services. Check with a veterinarian if you are unsure whether an animal is suitable for children and check with the local health department for regulations and advice regarding animals in residences. Some animals require a license before they can be kept in a home environment.

Animals that may be more likely to be suitable for family day care may include goldfish, hermit crabs, stick insects, or guinea pigs as these animals are relatively low maintenance.

Assessing and Managing Risks

Whilst there are many benefits to providing children with access to animals and keeping pets at the family day care residence, there are risks that must be minimised or mitigated for the safety and wellbeing of both the children and the animals concerned prior to interacting with a pet or an animal visiting the service.

As part of the risk assessment process, Educators should assess the following potential risks:

Diseases from birds (Parrot fever (psittacosis)) and other animals
Injury due to biting, kicking, or pushing a child over (e.g., farm animals)
Scratching (e.g., chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs)
Pests and vermin (snakes, rats, mice)
Allergies (e.g., bees, wasps, ants)

Disease

As animals can spread disease, access to animals at the FDC residence requires special consideration to prevent this. Health authorities identify that: germs can be present on the skin, hair, feathers, scales, and in the faeces, urine and saliva of animals. While these germs may not cause disease in the animal, they may cause disease in humans.

Effective hand washing and cleaning

Children and adults should employ effective hand washing after touching or feeding animals, or cleaning their bedding, tanks, cages, or enclosures. However, it is important to engage children with these tasks as they learn responsibility through ‘hands on’ learning experiences.

Appropriate supervision and clothing

Children should also be appropriately supervised when they have contact with animals to avoid potential injury or harm to the child or the animal.

Ensure children wear appropriate clothing and footwear when handling animals and pets. Be aware of children who may have allergies to insects such as bees, wasps and ants that may be more apparent when animals are kept at the FDC residence.

FDC Service Pets

On approval of a pet for the residence, Educators will ensure:

Children’s interaction with animals are planned and parents/guardians have given permission for a child to interact with a pet on enrolment or prior to the first encounter with the animal
Children are supervised at all times while the animal is interacting with children e.g.: bathing, grooming, bottle feeding of young, play etc.
Children are educated about correct handling techniques and acceptable behaviour when handling animal /pet
Pets must have a separate area inaccessible to children that provides shade, food, water, and any litter requirements. This area must prevent the children from entering and the animal from leaving the space. Animals should be kept in this area when there are no direct interactions planned
All appropriate veterinarian treatments (for example: parasite, worming, fleas, immunisations) are current
Any shared area used by the animals, and pets must be cleaned to ensure no faeces, urine, hair, or smell is present before children are given access. Shared areas must be cleaned regularly as required
All allergies are considered to ensure that children who may have symptoms around animals have suitable management plans in place (including no interactions while in care; where necessary). Educators will also consider children with food allergies as some pet foods contain common allergens such as nuts and seafood
Any incident where an animal or pet has harmed a child is reported
The Educator should prepare children for the animal visit, gaining perception into how the children may react to the pet
The Educator, children and families should consider the rationale for having a pet and long-term implications of such a decision prior to getting the pet
All pets and their enclosures are to be kept clean and hygienic with appropriate bedding and water
Food will be made available for all pets and animals, but kept out of reach of children at all times
Animals including pets will not be allowed in the sand pit or any other play area. In event that this happens, Educators must thoroughly disinfect and sanitise the sand pit prior to children returning to play
Animals including pets will never be taken into the food preparation area/kitchen nor will they have access to the eating or sleeping areas, toys, bedding, eating surfaces and/or utensils
Anyone who has handled the animal or pet will immediately wash their hands
The educational program will include how to properly care for animals and how to treat them appropriately

Uninvited Animals

Depending on the area in which the FDC service operates, there may be times where uninvited animals enter the property, especially in more regional and rural areas. Examples of this may be, birds flying into a yard or house, a dog entering the property, or a snake found in the back yard. With safety as the first priority, Educators should ensure that the children are safe and separated from the animal and assess whether they are able to remove the animal from the property themselves (in the instance of a dog entering the yard, or bird flying into the house) or whether a local authority should be contacted for assistance.

If an animal or bird is potentially dangerous such as a snake or spider, Educators will contact an appropriate authority for assistance.

In Queensland: Department of Environment and Heritage Protection 1300 130 372 or RSPCA Queensland 1300 264 625

At no time is the potentially dangerous animal, insect, or bird to be approached or touched by Educators, children, or families. Educators should consider whether an evacuation or soft lockdown is required to keep children and themselves safe until assistance arrives.

Uninvited animals also includes animals that are other people’s pets and that have not been assessed as part of the FDC risk management plan. Whilst these animals are not undomesticated, their nature and tendencies are not known and could therefore pose a safety risk to children and adults. Educators should ask the pet owner to remove their animal from the FDC residence away from children immediately.

Visits from Children's Pets

Occasionally a child may have a new pet such as a puppy or kitten that they wish to bring to the service to show their friends and Educator. Whilst this provides a wonderful learning experience for children, families must seek permission from the Educator and from Enhance FDC prior to bringing in the pet. A risk assessment should then be completed before giving permission to the family. Families should also be advised that pets visiting the service that are not confined (for example, in a fishbowl or bird/mouse cage) must not be left at the service but be taken with the family member at the conclusion of their visit.

Interactions with Animals during an incursion or excursion

Excursions and incursions that involve animals can be very exciting for children and provides opportunities to interact with animals that they may not have encountered before. Educators will need to notify families of their intention of the incursion or excursion and highlight any animals and interactions that children may have as part of this experience.

In the event of an incursion or excursion where children will be in direct contact with an animal, Educators should ask the venue or incursion manager for their risk assessment to review on how animals and children will be kept safe.

Educators must ensure that no animal is left unsupervised by their carer where animals have direct access to children, and that animals are removed from the service after the incursion.

Educators should ensure that they have provided families with a thorough risk assessment and have written permission for their child to interact or participate in the experience prior to the day.

Pests and vermin

Pest control will occur at the FDC residence on an annual basis as a minimum
Pest control certificates are required as part of the annual assessment of a FDC residence
If pests and/or vermin are seen, or evidence of pests and/or vermin such as droppings, the FDC Educator must take the necessary action to arrange for a treatment and notify a Enhance FDC Practice Mentor
The Educator is responsible for arranging additional pest control visits for their home as required, outside of FDC service operation hours
Where appropriate, the Educator will discuss safety issues relating to dangerous products, plants, vermin and objects with the children
FDC Educators will thoroughly clean all areas that pests have accessed in the residence/property with disinfectant
If the remains of animal or animal faeces have been found, the remains will be disposed of according to the local Council guidelines and the area where the remains were found will be thoroughly disinfected

Variations
FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents

Links/Nil

Acknowledgements and references

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Bone, J. (2013). The animals as the fourth Educator: A literature review of animals and young children in pedagogical relationships. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood 38(2). Deakin West, ACT: Early Childhood Australia.
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016).
ECA Code of Ethics.
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018).
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011)
Elliott, S., McCrea, N., Edwards, H., & University of New England. (2012). Sustainable outdoor play spaces in early childhood centres: Investigating perceptions, facilitating change and generating theory.
Frith, J., Kambouris, N., & O’Grady, O. (2003). Health and safety in children’s centres: Model policies and practices (2nd Ed.). NSW, Australia: NSW Department of Community Services. Retrieved from http://eduserve.com/sites/default/files/iccc_resources/Child_Care_Model_Policies.pdf
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (amended 2020).
Kidsafe NSW Inc. https://kidsafe.com.au/
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2012) (updated June 2013). Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services (5th Ed.).

CHNS.P19 Arrival and Departure Policy

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	19
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	Childrens Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	1st December 2021
Review date:	December 2022

Enhance Family Day Care supports high quality Education and Care environments where all children have their individual needs considered and their health, safety and wellbeing are paramount. Our Educators use arrival and departure times to promote a smooth transition between home and the Family Day Care service. We will use these times to build secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships between children and families through engaging in conversations with families, sharing information about each child and their routines and focussing on each child’s well-being.

To ensure the safety of children at our services, our Arrival and Departure Policy is strictly adhered to, allowing only nominated or authorised persons to collect children at any time throughout the day. The daily sign in and out process is not only a legally required document to record children’s attendance as per National Law and Regulations but also used as a record of the children on the premises should an emergency evacuation be required to be implemented.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

Quality Area 2: 2.1.1, 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS

84        Awareness of child protection law
99        Children leaving the education and care service premises
157      Access for parents
159      Children’s attendance record to be kept by family day care educator
160      Child enrolment records to be kept by approved provider and family day care educator
165      Record of visitors
166      Children not to be alone with visitors
173      Prescribed information to be displayed
176      Time to notify certain information to Regulatory Authority
178      Prescribed enrolment and other documents to be kept by family day care educator S162(A)Persons in day to day charge and nominated supervisors to have child protection training

Purpose

Enhance Family Day Care Service aims to ensure the protection and safety of all children, staff members, and families accessing the Service. Educators and educator assistants will only release children to an authorised person as named by the parent/guardian on the individual child’s enrolment form.

Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children Services team, Educators, Educator Assistants, families, and visitors of the Family Day Care Service.

Implementation

Guidelines for delivery and collection of children are put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of each individual child and are shared with families as part of the enrolment process for their child/ren. Our Educators will greet each child and their parent/guardian at arrival and departure times to support a smooth transition between home and the service. Our Educators will use this time to support family members to complete all of the required processes to ensure that each child is legally signed in/ out of the service, that all information pertaining to the child’s day is shared, any medication forms have been completed, and that all of the child/ren’s belongings are stored safely and returned at the end of the day.

Arrivals at the service

As part of the enrolment process, families will nominate the hours of attendance, including drop off times. On arrival at the service:

Families will be greeted by their Educator
A designated area for drop off/ pick up will be clearly indicated
Children will be welcomed by the Educator and the parent/ guardian will be supported to complete the sign in process for their child/ren
All children need to be signed in by an authorised person. This process must legally be completed by the person dropping the child off. Under no circumstances should an Educator sign a child in on the parent/guardian’s behalf using their PIN (Harmony Web)
The parent/authorised person must also advise the Educator who will be collecting the child/ren
Should families forget to sign their child/children in, and their signature cannot reasonably be obtained, National Regulations require the FDC educator to sign the child in using their own details
Sign in records are to be used in the case of an emergency to account for all children present at the service on any given day
A child’s medication needs, or any other important or relevant information should be passed on to the Educator by the person delivering the child
The Educator will check that the family has completed an Administration of Medication Record and store the medication appropriately, away from children’s reach
In order for children to feel secure and safe, Educators should ensure children are greeted warmly and children have the chance to say goodbye to the person dropping them off. Saying goodbye helps to build trust, while parents/guardians leaving without saying goodbye could cause the child to think they have been left behind
A locker or shelf space will be made available to children and their families
In the case of a separated family, either biological parent is able to add a contact in writing unless a court order is provided to Enhance FDC stating that one parent has sole custody and responsibility.

Departure

Children may only leave the FDC premises
- If the child leaves in accordance with the written authorisation of the child’s parent or authorised nominee named in the child’s enrolment record or
- If taken on an excursion with the permission of a parent/guardian; or
- Because the child requires medical, hospital or ambulance care or treatment; or
- Because of another emergency (evacuation due to bush fire, flood)
In the case of an emergency, (because the child requires medical, hospital or ambulance care or treatment), where the parent or a previously authorised nominee (as indicated in the child’s enrolment form) is unable to collect the child, the parent or person responsible for the child (as listed on enrolment form as having a parenting role) may telephone the service and arrange an alternative person to pick up the child. This contact must then be confirmed in writing to the Service (email, text or letter)
Parents are to advise their child’s Educator if someone different is picking up their child, both verbally and on the sign in/out record. This person is to be named on the enrolment form or added in writing as an authorised nominee for the child
Photo identification must be sighted by the educator before the child is released. If the Educator cannot verify the person’s identity, they may be unable to release the child into that person’s care, even if the person is named on the enrolment form. Educators will contact their Practice Mentor or the Emergency After Hours contact for support in this instance
All children must be signed out by their parent (or a person authorised by the parent) when the child is collected from the service. If the parent or other person forgets to sign the child out, they will be signed out by the educator using their own log in
Where children are signed in on a paper attendance record, children must be signed out on the same sheet that they were signed in on (date, time, signature)
Parents/authorised nominees are requested to arrive to collect their child/children by their nominated end of session time
No child will be withheld from an authorised contact or biological parent named on the enrolment form unless a current court order is on file at the Service
- In the case of a particular person (including a biological parent) being denied access to a child, the service requires a written notice (court order) from a court of law
- The educator will attempt to prevent that person from entering the service and taking the child; however, the safety of other children must be considered
- Enhance Educators will not be expected to physically prevent any person from leaving the service
- In such cases, the parent with custody will be contacted along with the local police
- Where possible the Educator will provide police with the make, colour, and registration number of the vehicle being driven by the unauthorised person, and the direction of travel when they left the Service
- A court order overrules any requests made by parents to adapt or make changes.
In the case of a serious incident occurring, as described above, the regulatory authority will be notified within 24 hours
The Family will ensure that the authorised nominee pick-up list for each child is kept up to date. It is our policy that we do not allow anyone under the age of 18 (apart from parents who are under the age of 18) to collect children.
If the person collecting the child appears to be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, and the Educator senses that the person is unfit to take responsibility for the child, the Educator will:
- Discuss their concerns with the person, without the child being present if possible, and
- Suggest they contact another parent or authorised nominee to collect the child
- Follow procedures to protect the safety of children and staff of the education and care service as per Child Protection Law and Child Protection Policy
- Contact the Police
- The Educator will also inform Enhance FDC of the incident as soon as practicable
Children may leave the premises in the event of an emergency, including medical emergencies outlined in our Emergency Evacuation Policy.
Details of absences during the day will be recorded.

School aged children

If a child is attending the service for before and/or after school care, the educator is responsible for:

Signing the child ‘out’ of care upon dropping the child to school and ‘in’ care upon collecting the child from school
Ensuring they have contact details and timetables for the bus operator if the child is using School Bus transportation
Ensuring they have school contact phone numbers in case of an emergency
Ensuring they know the safest walking route to and from school if the child is authorised to walk to school
following steps should the child not arrive home by the expected time (including contacting the school; contacting the parent/s; contacting Enhance FDC; notifying Police and if a serious incident has occurred- notifying the Regulatory Authority)

Parents will review the attendance record each day to ensure that the Educator has correctly signed the child out (for before school care) and/or signed the child in (for after school care).

Visitors

To ensure we can meet Work Health and Safety requirements and ensure a child safe environment, individuals visiting our service must sign in when they arrive at the service and sign out when they leave. It is also a requirement of the National Regulations that visitors are not left alone with children at any time.
All visitors must adhere to the directions of the Educator at all times when on the FDC premises

Late collection of children

If parents/guardians know they are going to be late, they must notify the Educator and make arrangements for someone else (authorised contact) to collect child
If parents/guardians have not arrived by their nominated end of session time, the Educator will attempt to contact them via telephone. If the Educator or Practice Mentor is unable to contact parents/guardians and the child has not been collected, alternative contacts as listed on the enrolment form will be contacted to organise the collection of the child
Late collection fees may be charged if a child is not collected by the end of their session
Due to licensing and insurance purposes, if by the close of the Educator’s service, neither the parent/guardian or any authorised nominee are available or contactable Enhance FDC may need to contact the police and other relevant authorities
Where families are continually late to collect children, a Late Collection of Children letter will be presented to parents/guardians
Should this non-compliance continue, the FDC Service reserves the right to terminate a child’s enrolment

Induction and training for Educators

New Educators will undergo training on arrival and departure of children as part of their induction on registration with Enhance FDC, and then as part of an annual re-induction refresher
Enhance FDC Practice Mentors will include review of arrival and departure procedures and practices as part of their ongoing support and mentoring for Educators during face to face visits and at other times.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents

Nil

Acknowledgements and references

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Australian Government. Department of Education, Skills and Employment. Belonging, Being and Becoming. The Early Years Framework for Australia. (2009)
Australian Government Department of Education Skills and Employment. My Time, Our Place. Framework for School Aged Care in Australia. (2011).
Australian Government Department of Health Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC)
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016).
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018).
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011)
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2018). (Amended 2020).
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2012). Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services.
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
Safe Work Australia (2020)

CHNS.P35 Excursion policy

EXCURSION POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	35
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	Children's Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	28 March 2022
Review date:	02/2023

Excursions/incursions enhance children’s learning by providing them the opportunity to participate in planned activities and experiences to extend on their skills and knowledge, as well as establish their identity as a member of their local community. Enhance Family Day Care recognises that excursions provide opportunities for children to explore the wider community in a small group and extend on the educational program provided offered by Educators.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)
Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS
4 (1) Definition of regular outing
89 First Aid Kits
97 Emergency and evacuation procedures
98 Telephone or other communication equipment
99 Children leaving the education and care service premises
100 Risk assessment must be conducted before excursion
101 Conduct of risk assessment for excursion
102 Authorisation for excursion
124 Number of children who can be educated and cared for-family day care educator
136 First Aid qualifications
161 Authorisation to be kept in enrolment records
168 Policies and Procedures are required
170 Policy and procedures to be followed

Purpose

To ensure that all excursions and incursions undertaken by Enhance FDC Educators are planned and conducted in a safe manner, maintaining children’s health, safety and wellbeing at all times in accordance with National Legislation. We believe excursions/incursions provide the children with the opportunity to expand and enhance their skills and knowledge gaining insight into their local and the wider community.

Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children’s Services team, Educators, Educator Assistants, children, families, and visitors of Enhance FDC services.

Implementation

Excursions will be conducted with the children’s safety and wellbeing in mind at all times. Educators will schedule incursions and excursions in line with the Excursion Policy and the Transporting of Children Policy, after thorough risk assessment by both Educator and Practice Mentor and with the express permission of parents or carers of each child attending the excursion. This policy relates to excursions that may be a ‘regular outing’ or a one-off excursion for a particular purpose.

Definitions

Excursion: means an outing organised by an Educator
Regular outing: in relation to an education and care service, means a walk, drive or trip to and from a destination

a) that the service visits regularly as part of its educational program; and
b) where the circumstances relevant to the risk assessment are substantially the same on each

Considerations for an excursion

The purpose of the excursion should be clearly identified by the Educator in the Excursion permission and risk assessment form and provide information on how the excursion or incursion supports the educational program and contributes to the outcomes for children.

Excursions/incursions should be planned in advance and consideration given to the:

Time away from the FDC residence
Availability of toilet and washing facilities at the venue
Access to safe drinking water
Adequate health and hygiene practices
Possible risk to children (identified in risk assessment)
Accessibility for all children
Transportation in educator’s car
Cost
Incorporation of teaching children safety procedures and responsibilities whilst on an excursion
Weather factors - wet weather arrangements
Risk assessment documentation provided by the excursion venue

Excursion risk assessment

Educators must conduct a risk assessment before an authorisation is scheduled to determine the safety and appropriateness of the excursion/incursion. If the excursion involves transporting children, the risk assessment must adhere to all components of the Excursion Policy and the Transporting of Children Policy.

Enhance FDC will ensure:

An Excursion/Incursion Risk Assessment and management plan is developed by the Educator prior to any excursion or incursion and approved by their Practice Mentor and/or Children Services Manager.
Families are notified about the excursion using an Excursion Permission letter and written authorisation must be provide by a parent or other person named in the child’s enrolment record
Families have a right to view the risk assessment prior to the excursion/incursion upon request
The excursion risk assessment must:
- Identify and assess possible risks that the excursion/incursion may pose to the health, safety and wellbeing of any child being taken on the excursion
- Specify how the identified risks will be managed and minimised
- Consider the proposed route and destination for the excursion
- Identify any water hazards
- Reflect on any risks associated with water-based activities
Consider the transport to and from the proposed destination for the excursion
Consider the duration of the transportation
Consider any requirements for seatbelts or safety restraints in line with the transporting of children policy
The process for entering and exiting premises and the pick-up location or destination (as required)
Procedures for embarking and disembarking the means of transport, including how each child is to be accounted for on embarking and disembarking
Consider the ratio of adults to children involved in the excursion
Consider the risks posed by the excursion/incursion, the educator, educator assistant or other responsible adults required to provide supervision, and whether any adults with specialised skills are required to ensure children’s safety (eg: lifesaving skills)
Consider the planned activities
Determine the duration of the excursion
Consider items that should be taken on the excursion (mobile phone, emergency contacts, first aid kit, medical plans, etc.).
Consider strategies to ensure supervision is consistent at all times during the excursion- transitions, toileting, departure and conclusion of the excursion

If the excursion is a regular excursion, or ‘regular outing’ a risk assessment is only required to be carried out once in a 12-month period, however, must be regularly reviewed. If circumstances around the excursion change, a new risk assessment is required.

Parent authorisation

Educators will ensure:

That a child is not taken outside the FDC residence/venue on an excursion unless written authorisation has been provided
The authorisation must be given by a parent or other authorised person named in the child’s enrolment record as having authority to authorise transportation of a child
The authorisation form must state:
- The child’s name
- The reason the child is to be taken outside the premises
- The reason the child is to be transported (if transportation is included in the excursion)
- If the authorisation is for a regular outing, a description of when the child is to be taken on the regular outing
- The date the child is to be taken on the excursion and transported
- A description of the proposed pick-up location and destination for the excursion
- The method of transport to be used for the excursion- eg: educator’s private vehicle
- The proposed activities to be undertaken by the child during the excursion
- The period the child will be away from the FDC residence
- The period of time during which the child is to be transported
- The anticipated number of children likely to be attending the excursion
- The anticipated educator ratio attending the excursion to the anticipated number of children attending the excursion
- The anticipated number adults who will accompany and supervise the children on the excursion
- Any requirements for seatbelts or safety restraints
- That a risk assessment has been prepared and is available at the service
- That written policies and procedures for transporting children are available at the service
If the excursion is a regular outing, the authorisation is only required to be obtained once in a 12-month period
Authorisations are kept securely in the child’s enrolment records

Staffing arrangements

Enhance FDC and Educators will ensure:

Educator to child ratios are no less than the prescribed ratios as per National Regulations
Additional adults/ Enhance FDC staff are engaged to provide care and support where a child attending the excursion or incursion has additional needs
Consideration for adequate supervision may include:
- The number, age and ability of children
- Each child’s current activity
- Risks related to the mode of transport (for example: walking)
- Visibility and accessibility
- The experience and skill of the Educator
Educators are aware of their responsibility to provide supervision to other responsible adults or volunteers assisting on the excursion
Educators are aware the procedures to follow in the event of an emergency
Educators must hold current approved first aid qualification, current approved emergency asthma management and current approved anaphylaxis management training

Parent and volunteer participation

Enhance FDC will ensure parents and volunteers:

Are encouraged to participate in excursions where possible
Cannot be counted as part of the educator to child ratio
Cannot be left alone with a child/children and must be supervised by the educator at all times
Are briefed prior to participating on an excursion about the risk assessment, emergency procedures, supervision, photograph policy for privacy and confidentiality and use of mobile phone
Are aware that smoking is not permitted
Are aware of need to wear appropriate clothing and footwear

Items to take on an excursion

The Educator must ensure that the following items are taken on all excursions, as per the risk assessment:

A suitably equipped first aid kit
Fully charged and operating mobile phone
Emergency contact information details for all children participating on the excursion
Medication for children requiring medical and relevant medical management plans
Items required for excursion circumstances- such as sunscreen, hats, other equipment
Attendance record for all children on the excursion

Transportation for excursion

It is a requirement of the National Regulation that the means of transport is stated on the risk assessment record and parent authorisation record. Information must be included in the risk assessment about the process for embarking and disembarking the means of transport, including how each child is to be accounted for.

The means of transport may mean:
• Walking
Educators must ensure children and adults use the safest footpaths and safe crossings where possible, such as pedestrian crossings and traffic lights
Educators will actively supervise children at all times
Educators will ensure all children and adults obey road rules
Educators will ensure children follow the ‘stop, look, listen and think’ process when walking near roads
Educators will remain vigilant that no child runs ahead or lags behind the group
• Bus
The Educator must ensure that the seating capacity as displayed on the compliance registration is not exceeded. All children must sit on seats, preferably with, or close to an adult. Any requirements for seat belts or safety restraints under law must be followed depending on the vehicle used. If the bus has seat belts, they must be worn at all times
• Train
the Educator will be required to contact the local station prior to the excursion to inform them of the time you will be travelling, the destination, and the number of children and adults who will be travelling.
Provisions should be made to ensure children have ample time to board the train safely and in an unhurried way. This will allow the station to inform the train guard so that they can hold the train for the period of time for safe boarding and disembarkment. All children should be seated at all times, with an adult close by. All children should be seated in the one carriage if possible- and not in a Quiet Carriage.
• Car
Educators and Educator assistants must only transport the number of children that can be safely transported in the car/vehicle. The motor vehicle that is used to transport children on an excursion must be fitted with child restraints and/or seatbelts that are appropriate for the age and weight of each child, that conform to the Australian Standards, and are professionally installed or checked by an authorised restraint fitter.

The vehicle must be registered and free of any defects that could put any passenger at harm.

All children must be fastened in the vehicle according to National Child Restraint Laws for Vehicles as outlined in the Enhance FDC Transporting of Children Policy. The Educator and Educator assistant who transport children should hold a current Australian driver’s licence. The process for entering and exiting the Service premises safely must be considered at all times.

Insurance

FDC educators must review their insurance policy prior to the excursion/incursion to ensure liability is protected by the Educators insurance policy. A copy of the insurance policy should be kept within the Educator’s vehicle at all times.

Checking for children's safety

The Educator and Educator assistant will ensure:

Children’s attendance records are taken on excursions
All children are accounted for when embarking/disembarking the car/vehicle or bus
Children’s names are marked off as they enter and leave the vehicle including time and date
A thorough check is made of the vehicle to ensure no child is left in the vehicle (a second person should repeat this check for safety where possible)
The vehicle is parked to avoid other vehicles, driveways or car parks
The vehicle is parked as close as possible to the FDC residence or visiting venue
Children only disembark the vehicle when it is safe to do so
Where possible, Educators hold children’s hands to supervise them walking into the FDC residence/venue
Head counts are conducted at least every 30 minutes whilst on the excursion
Bathrooms and toilets are checked for any potential hazard before children enter, and children are escorted to the bathrooms and supervised

Lost child during an excursion

In the event of a child being unaccounted for during an excursion, the Educator will immediately:

inform another adult if possible and continue to ensure supervision for the other children attending the excursion
conduct a head count
ask children/parent helpers/Enhance FDC staff if they have seen the missing child
search the premises
check organised meeting points (use mobile phone to contact other adults if applicable)
alert the venue management and request that an announcement is made
if the child is still unaccounted for after checking as above, the Educator will contact the Police on 000 and report the incident
contact the Children’s Service Manager at the principal office to contact parents/guardian
Educators will reassure other children and provide supervision
Enhance FDC must make a notification to the Regulatory Authority within 24 hours of a serious incident

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this Policy.

Links to associated documents

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. (2009) Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018).
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011)
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2018). (Amended 2020).
Kidsafe Victoria Road Safety https://www.kidsafevic.com.au/road-safety/
Kids and Traffic Early Childhood Road Safety Education Program (NSW) Transporting Children Safely
NSW Government Centre for Road Safety. (2017): https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/children/childcarseats/index.html
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
Road Transport (Safety & Traffic Management) Act 1999.
Victoria State Government Education and Training Early Childhood Professionals

Acknowledgements and references

Nil

CHNS.P18 Acceptance and Refusal of Authorisations Policy

ACCEPTANCE AND REFUSAL OF AUTHORISATIONS POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	18
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	Childrens Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	1st December 2021
Review date:	December 2022

Enhance Family Day Care supports high quality Education and Care environments where all children have their individual needs considered and their health, safety and wellbeing are paramount. In order to do this, Enhance Family Day Care is required to obtain written authorisation from parents or guardians for some circumstances.

An authorisation is given where a person who has legal responsibility for a child gives permission to another person to do something or to make a decision on that person’s behalf. Authorisations are usually authenticated by a signature- either in written form or as an electronic signature. All authorisation and refusals will be kept as part of each child’s enrolment record.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS

92        Medication record
93        Administration of medication
94        Exception to authorisation requirement- anaphylaxis or asthma emergency
96        Self-administration of medication
99        Children leaving the education and care service
102      Authorisation for excursions
157      Access for parents
160      Child enrolment records to be kept by approved provider
161      Authorisation to be kept in enrolment record
165      Record of visitors
168      Education and Care Services must have policies and procedures

Purpose

Enhance Family Day Care will provide detailed policies and procedures so that all educators are consistent in how authorisations are managed and understand what does or does not constitute a correct authorisation, which consequently may lead to a refusal. Decisions around refusing an authorisation will be made on a case by case basis by the service in discussion with the Children Services Manager, Police or other authorities.

Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children Services team, Educators, Educator Assistants, families, and visitors of the Family Day Care Service.

Implementation

Enhance Family Day Care will ensure we comply with the current Education and Care Services National Regulations, which require parent or guardian authorisation to be provided in matters including:

Administration of medication to children
Self-administration of medication for children who are over preschool age
Administration of medical treatment, dental treatment, and general first aid treatment
Emergency Ambulance transportation
Excursions including regular outings
Incursion attendance
Taking of photographs by people other than educators
Water based activities
Enrolment of children, including providing details of persons nominated to authorise consent for medical treatment, to collect children from the service, or trips outside the service premises
Children leaving the premises in the care of someone other than a parent or guardian

Enhance Family Day Care will ensure that:

The Acceptance and Refusal Authorisation Policy is reviewed and maintained regularly by management and adhered to at all times by educators and educator assistants
All parents/guardians have completed the authorised person's section of their child's enrolment form including authorised nominees, and that the form is signed and dated before the child commences with the service
Permission forms for excursions are provided to the parent/guardian or authorised nominee and returned to the service prior to the excursion
Parent/guardians are provided with a copy of relevant policies for Enhance Family Day Care or are aware of how they can be accessed
Attendance records are maintained for all children attending any Enhance Family Day Care service
Enhance FDC Educators and Educator Assistants do not administer medication without the authorisation of a parent/guardian or authorised nominee except in the case of an emergency, including an asthma or anaphylaxis
The service consults with parents/guardians, the child’s health practitioner and Educator to determine the circumstances that the child could self-administer their medication as per their ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis or Asthma Foundation Action Plan for Asthma
determine where self-administered medication should be stored by the FDC Educator (asthma, anaphylaxis or diabetes medication must be stored in an easily accessible location)
Educators and Educator Assistants allow a child to participate in excursions only with the written authorisation of a parent/guardian or authorised nominee named in the child’s enrolment record and that this written authorisation has been received by the Educator and service
Educators/Educator Assistants allow a child to depart the Service only with:
- A person who is the parent/guardian or authorised nominee named in the child’s enrolment record; or
- With a person authorised by a parent or authorised nominee; or
- Leaves in accordance with the written authorisation of the parent; or authorised nominee; or
- Is taken on an excursion; or
- In the case of a medical emergency or another emergency
There are procedures in place if an inappropriate person or a person who does not appear to be fit to care for the child attempts to collect the child from the service or poses a risk to the children of educator (for example; an intoxicated person)

Educators will:

Follow the policies and procedures of Enhance Family Day Care
Ensure documentation relating to authorisations contains:
- The name of the child enrolled in the service
- Date
- Signature of the child’s parent/guardian and authorised nominee as named on the enrolment form
Ensure that parents/guardians sign and date permission forms for excursions prior to the excursion being implemented
Allow a child to participate in an excursion only with the written authorisation of a parent/guardian or authorised nominee
Check that parents/guardians or authorised nominees sign the attendance record as their child arrives and departs from the Service
Ensure a written record of all visitors to the Service, including time of arrival and departure and reasons for visit is documented
Administer medication only with the written authorisation of a parent/guardian or authorised nominee as per the Administration of Medication Record, except in the case of an emergency, including an asthma or anaphylaxis emergency
Waive compliance where a child requires emergency medical treatment for conditions such as anaphylaxis or asthma. In accordance with National Regulations (R.93) the Service can administer medication in these circumstances without authorisation. If these situations occur the service will be required to contact the parent/guardian as soon as practicable after the medication has been administered as well as emergency services. Notification to the Regulatory Authority of a serious incident will also be made within 24 hours.
Allow a child over pre-school age to self-administer medication under the following circumstances:
- A parent or guardian provides written authorisation with consent on the child’s enrolment form - Administration of Medication
- Medication is stored safely by the Educator, who will provide it to the child when required
- Supervision is provided by the Educator whilst the child is self-administering.
- A recording is made in the medication record for the child that the medication has been self-administered
Allow a child to depart from the Service only with:
- A person who is the parent/guardian or authorised nominee named in the child’s enrolment record; or
- With a person authorised by a parent or authorised nominee; or
- Leaves in accordance with the written authorisation of the parent; or authorised nominee; or
- Is taken on an excursion; or
In the case of a medical emergency or another emergency
Follow procedures if an inappropriate person attempts to collect a child from the Service and poses a risk to the safety of the children or Educator (for example; an intoxicated person)
Exercise the right of refusal if written or verbal authorisations do not comply with National Regulations or Child Protection Legislation. If an authorisation is refused by the Enhance Family Day Care, it is best practice to document:
- The details of the authorisation
- Why the authorisation was refused, and
- Actions taken by the service. For example: if the service refused an authorised nominee named in the child’s enrolment record to collect the child from the service as they were under the influence of alcohol, the action taken to ensure that the child was collected
Inform the family and Approved Provider when a written authorisation does not meet the requirements outlined in Service’s policies.

Families will:

Read and comply with the policies and procedures of Enhance Family Day Care
Complete and sign the authorised person section of their child's enrolment form before their child commences at the Service
Ensure that changes to nominated authorised persons are provided to Enhance Family Day Care in a timely manner
Advise nominated authorised persons that they will require photo identification (such as a driver’s licence) in order to collect their child from the service
Sign and date permission forms for excursions
Sign the attendance record as their child arrives and departs from the service
Provide written authorisation on the Administration of Medication Form when their child requires medication to be administered by an educator, including signing and dating it for inclusion in the child's medication records
Provide a Medical Management Plan or Action Plan from their child’s health practitioner regarding circumstances by which the child could self-administer their medication (eg: Asthma inhaler)

Induction and training for Educators

New Educators will undergo training on authorisations and refusals as part of their induction on registration with Enhance FDC, and then as part of a bi-annual re-induction refresher
Enhance FDC Practice Mentors will include review of authorisations and refusals of authorisations as part of their ongoing support and mentoring for Educators during face to face visits and at other times.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents	Nil
Acknowledgements and references	Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014). Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2020). Guide to the National Quality Standard. (2017). Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).

CHNS.P17 Bottle Safety and Preparation Policy

BOTTLE SAFETY AND PREPARATION POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	17
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	Children Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	01 December 2021
Review date:	December 2022

Infants and young children are more susceptible to food borne illness making it necessary for Educators to implement the highest level of health and hygiene practices within their approved FDC residence. Safe practices for handling, storing, preparing and heating breast milk or formula must be implemented to minimise risks to children being cared for by Enhance FDC services.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.2, 2.2.1

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS

77        Health, hygiene and safe food practices
78        Food and beverages
168      Education and care services must have policies and procedures

Purpose

To ensure Enhance FDC Educators maintain hygienic premises for infants and toddlers requiring bottles, Educators will comply with this policy so that bottles are prepared safely and hygienically and that practices meet current Food Safety Standards.

Enhance FDC encourages all Educators to complete professional development in safe food handling to increase knowledge and awareness of individual responsibilities.

Scope

This policy applies to Educators, Educator assistants and families.

Implementation

During their first year of life, babies are at their most vulnerable to viruses, bacteria, and parasitic infections, due to their immune system not yet being fully developed. Unsafe food handling practices can therefore lead to illness in babies and young children.

To ensure that bottles are consistently prepared in a safe and hygienic manner, Educators will adhere to Enhance FDC’s procedures at all times.

Enhance Educators will:

Ensure that they are fully aware of the procedures for preparing, heating and storing bottles of formula and breast milk
Wash hands thoroughly and wear gloves when preparing bottles
Ensure that children have access to safe drinking water at all times and are regularly offered food and beverages appropriate to their individual needs
Implement safe food handling practices
Provide a supportive environment for breastfeeding
Store all bottles in an appropriate area for food preparation and storage that complies with the food safety standards for kitchens and food preparation areas
Adhere to the procedure for the safe storage and heating of food provided in bottles
Ensure infants over 6 months of age are given small amounts of cooled boiled tap water in addition to breastmilk or formula
Ensure infants and children are not given fruit juice in their bottle due to the increase risk of tooth decay
Adhere to each child’s feeding routine
Complete a record of the amount of milk each infant consumed including times of feeds
Communicate regularly with families about infant and children’s feeding patterns and routines

Families will:

Be informed during orientation that children’s bottles must be clearly labelled with the child’s name
Label bottles containing breast milk or formula with the date of preparation or expression
Be encouraged to supply breast milk in well labelled, multiple small quantities to prevent wastage
Be asked to provide a labelled bottle(s) for use at the Service for children having regular cow’s milk in their bottles
Be encouraged to communicate regularly with the Educator about their children’s bottle and feeding requirements
Not put fruit juice in children’s bottles.

Sterilising bottles, teats and dummies

After sterilising any item for infants, it is important to remember not to touch any part that will go into the baby’s mouth with your hands. Generally, all sterilising systems come with tongs for this purpose, which must also be sterilised with the items.

Educators are required to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions that come with the sterilising system and ensure that the recommended sterilising times are strictly adhered to.

Prior to using any sterilising system or device or removing items from a steriliser, Educators will wash their hands. This is the single most effective way of preventing the spread of infection.

Steam sterilising

Electric steam sterilising is based on hospital methods and is quick and efficient, taking eight to twelve minutes plus cooling time. Care must be taken that only equipment that is safe to boil is sterilised in this manner. For example, some parts of breast pumps cannot be boiled. Bottles, teats and other items must be placed upside down and must have sufficient room (not touching any other item) to ensure they are fully sterilised.

Microwave steamers take around five to eight minutes to work, plus cooling time. Note that metal utensils cannot be used in microwaves. Where possible leave the lid on the steriliser until it has cooled sufficiently to prevent steam burns. If using a microwave for sterilising, ensure that a purpose designed sterilisation container is being used.

Boiling

Most bottle-feeding equipment must be boiled for at least 10 minutes. Ensure the pot you use is large enough for all bottles to be completely submerged and use the pot exclusively for sterilising. Be aware that teats that are frequently boiled become sticky and may need to be replaced more frequently than if using other sterilisation methods.

Chemical Sterilising

Chemical sterilisation is achieved using cold water and a non-toxic liquid or tablet that is added to cold water to create a sterilising solution that is highly effective in killing bacteria. It is extremely safe to use and can be applied to the skin or even swallowed with no harmful effects. Educators need to check that there are no air bubbles left in the bottles to ensure complete sterilisation.

Always read the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure the solution is mixed correctly and items are left in the solution for the required amount of time: Generally, they are sterile after half an hour and can be safely left in the solution for up to 24 hours. The solution must be changed daily.

Avoid leaving sterilised empty bottles out on work surfaces as they will quickly lose their sterility. Ideally, sterilisers have built-in storage facilities and bottles can be removed when required.

Note: Dishwashers can be used to clean bottles and equipment, but these items must still be sterilised – the dishwasher does not sterilise.

Storing sterilised bottles

If not using sterilised bottles immediately, care needs to be taken to store them correctly to avoid them coming into contact with bacteria.

Ensure your hands and the work bench are clean
Using sterile tongs, place the teat ‘upside-down’ in the bottle, and place the sterilised cap and lid on the bottle
Store bottles in a clean place away from dust
If not used within 24 hours sterilised bottles should be sterilised again before use

Preparing formula

Before preparing formula

Ensure your hands and the work bench are clean
Boil water and leave to cool for approximately 30 minutes. This will ensure that the water is not too hot (70°C is the best temperature to prepare formula as it will dissolve easily)

When preparing infant formula always closely follow the instructions on the tin. In general:

Always wash hands thoroughly prior to preparing formula
Do not compact the formula powder in the scoop, and always ensure the correct ratio of formula to water as specified on the tin: Too little formula powder may leave the infant hungry, whilst too much can cause constipation
Always use a sterilised knife to level the top of the scoop when measuring the formula powder
Without touching the teat shake the bottle well to mix the contents
Cool the made-up formula as quickly as possible: If using immediately run under cold tap water or place in a large bowl of cold water (with the lid on to avoid contaminating the teat)
If not using immediately, made-up formula should be cooled and stored in the fridge

Heating bottles

Heat bottles once only
Do not allow a bottle to cool and then reheat as this can allow germs and bacteria to grow
Stand the bottle in a container of hot water for no more than 15 minutes
Before feeding the infant, check the temperature of the milk by letting a small drop fall on the inside of your wrist
Do not microwave breast milk or bottles
Do not refreeze thawed breast milk
Discard any milk that has not been used

Storing bottles

Formula or breast milk needs to be kept refrigerated or frozen. Keep a non-mercury thermometer in your fridge so that you can check that the temperature is below 5°C.

It is best to make up fresh formula for each feed and give it to the child as soon as it has cooled. If this is not possible, the freshly made formula should be cooled immediately and stored in the back of the refrigerator (where it is coldest) for no more than 24 hours. Throw away any formula that is left over. Do not freeze or reheat leftover made-up formula.

Breast milk can be stored in several ways, which include:

Refrigerated for no more than 72 hours at 4°C or lower (4°C is the typical temperature of a standard fridge).
Storing bottles in the back of the fridge where it is coldest. Do not store bottles inside the refrigerator door.
Frozen in a separate freezer section of a refrigerator for up to 3 months; if your freezer is a compartment inside the refrigerator, rather than a separate section with its own door, then only store the breast milk for 2 weeks. Frozen in a deep freeze (–18 °C or lower) for 6–12 months.

Frozen breast milk can be thawed:

In the refrigerator and used within 24 hours.
Standing the bottle in a container of lukewarm water and used straight away.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents

Nil

Acknowledgements and references

Australian Breastfeeding Association www.breastfeeding.asn.au
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Australian Government Department of Health. Get Up & Grow:
Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for Early Childhood. https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/phd-early-childhood-nutrition-resources
Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Eat for health: Infant feeding guidelines: Information for health workers. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n56b_infant_feeding_summary_130808.pdf
ECA Code of Ethics. (2016).
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).
Food Standards Australia – www.foodstandards.gov.au
Education and Care National Regulations. (2011).
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020).
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services- 5th Edition
Safe Food and Health Service Executive. (2013). How to prepare your baby’s bottle.

CHNS.P20 Breastfeeding Policy

BREASTFEEDING POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	20
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	Childrens Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	01 December 2021
Review date:	As required

Breastfeeding is important for infant’s nutrition. Australian and international health authorities recommend exclusive breastfeeding until around 6 months. At around 6 months, solid food can then be offered while breastfeeding is continued until 12 months or longer if the mother and baby wish (NSW Ministry of Health, 2014, p. 10).

Enhance Family Day Care respects and supports mothers’ wishes to continue to breastfeed, as we understand that returning to work is a common reason for discontinuing breastfeeding.

Enhance FDC Educators understand their role and responsibilities to ensure the safe storage and handling of breastmilk and adhere to the feeding practices outlined by families in their services.

NATIONAL QUALITY STNDARD (NQS)

Quality Area 2: Children's Health and Safety: 2.1.3

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS

77        Health, hygiene and safe food practices
78        Food and beverages
168      Education and Care Services must have policies and procedures

Purpose

Enhance Family Day Care recognises the importance of breast milk for the developing infant and will ensure that all families are aware of our commitment to supporting mothers to continue to provide their child with breast milk whilst in care.

Scope

This policy applies to the Educators, Educator Assistants, and families of Enhance FDC.

Implementation

An important function of breast milk is to provide the mother’s antibodies to the infant, assisting in the prevention of illness whilst the immune system is developed. Mothers will be supported to continue to breastfeed, whether by providing expressed breast milk or visiting the Family Day Care residence to feed their infant/child.

Enhance FDC will:

Provide families with breastfeeding information during enrolment and orientation
Ensure easily accessible brochures, pamphlets and other resources about breastfeeding are available for families at the Family Day Care residences
Ensure an individual breastfeeding support plan is developed in consultation with families, including contingency plans for if the Educator does not have enough expressed breast milk to meet the child’s needs
Familiarise all Educators with the Breastfeeding Policy and Bottle Safety and Preparation Policy and offer appropriate training as required
Ensure all Enhance Family Day Care Educators that have responsibility for the care of infants and young children are able to provide basic breastfeeding information and are able to refer mothers with breastfeeding concerns to appropriate resources
Ensure Educators promote and encourage breastfeeding in their services, whilst showing respect and support to mothers who cannot, or do not wish to breastfeed
Establish and maintain connections with local breastfeeding support networks, such as the Australian Breastfeeding Association

Educators will:

Ensure the residence is identified as ‘breastfeeding friendly’
Provide mothers with a private, clean and quiet place to breastfeed their children or express milk at the service
Communicate regularly with families about infant and children’s feeding patterns and routines
Store and handle expressed breast milk in accordance with the Bottle Safety and Preparation Policy
Refer mothers with breastfeeding concerns to appropriate resources
Promote and encourage breastfeeding in their services, whilst showing respect and support to mothers who cannot, or do not wish to breastfeed

Families will:

Be informed during orientation of requirements relating to safe transportation of breast milk, labelling bottles and communication requirements between parents and the Educator
Be informed of where they are able to breastfeed or express milk at their service
Be encouraged to communicate regularly with the educator about children’s bottle and feeding requirements.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents

Australian Breastfeeding Association
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Eat for health: Infant feeding guidelines: Information for health workers.
Safe Food and Health Service Executive. (2013). How to prepare your baby’s bottle.
State Government Victoria Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2014). Promoting Breastfeeding Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines

Acknowledgements and references

Nil

CHNS.P33 Emergency evacuation policy

EMERGENCY EVACUATION POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	33
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	Childrens Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	January 2022
Review date:	As required

Enhance Family Day Care supports high quality Education and Care environments where all children have their individual needs considered and their health, safety and wellbeing are paramount. Emergency and evacuation situations in early education and care services may arise for a variety of reasons, often suddenly and unexpectantly. It is vital that if an emergency situation arises Enhance Educators are confident to manage the situation effectively and efficiently, maintaining the safety and wellbeing of children, families and visitors.

Ensuring that Educators and children know what to do in an emergency situation requires ongoing planning and practice. Regularly practicing the drills for emergency situations also provides an opportunity to help support and build on children’s coping mechanisms and resilience.

NATIONAL QUALITY STADARD (NQS)

Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2
Quality Area 7: Governance and Leadership: 7.1.2, 7.1.3

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS

12(d)    Meaning of a serious incident- any emergency for which emergency services attended
97        Emergency and evacuation procedures
98        Telephone or other communication equipment
99        Children leaving the education and care service premises
168      Education and Care Services must have policies and procedures

Purpose

Enhance Family Day Care has a duty of care to maintain the safety and wellbeing of each child, the Educator, and all persons residing or visiting the FDC service during an emergency or evacuation situation. We are committed to identifying risks and potential hazards of emergency and evacuation situations by conducting thorough risk assessments on an annual basis (more regularly where it is identified that it is necessary) and continually planning for further risk minimisation and improvement to our policy and procedures.

Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children Services Team, Educators, Educator Assistants, children, families, and visitors of the Family Day Care Service.

Implementation

We define an emergency as an unplanned, sudden or unexpected event or situation that requires immediate action to prevent harm, injury, or illness to persons, or damage to the FDC service premises. Emergency situations may pose a risk to an individual’s health and safety, so it is important that Enhance Family Day Care and it’s Educators identify potential emergencies that may be specific to their location and environment.

An emergency is any event, situation or event where there is an imminent or severe risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of children at the service.

Circumstances under which an emergency evacuation will occur may include:

Fire within the building or playground
Fire in the surrounding area where the service may be in danger, such as bushfire
Flood
Cyclone, severe storm or dust storm or other natural weather event
dangerous animal, insect or reptile
Terrorist threat
Other circumstances may include:
- Gas explosion, traffic accident, or any event which could render the building unsafe (eg: earthquake).

Enhance FDC will ensure:

Emergency and evacuation policies and procedures are always available at each service
Risk assessments are conducted to identify potential emergencies that are relevant to the service at least annually
Educators are assisted to develop evacuation plans and procedures and to identify a safe area in the residence in case of a situation that would require a ‘lockdown emergency’
Relevant stakeholders/authorities are consulted for advice and guidance to improve risk mitigation strategies as part of our emergency and evacuation plan (police, fire, parents/families)
Consideration is made to evacuate infant/s and non-ambulant children evacuating the premises resulting in enhanced safety procedures
Emergency evacuation plans are displayed in prominent positions near each exit and in rooms occupied by the children
The plan includes a floor plan for ease of reference with clearly defined assembly points and clearly marked exit routes in case of an emergency
Emergency evacuation rehearsals (drills) will be practiced and reviewed at least every three months by the Educator, Educator assistant, students, volunteers, and children present on the day
Educators, Educator assistants, Practice Mentors and volunteers are aware of emergency evacuation procedures and regulatory requirements
Educators are aware of their responsibilities and roles in the event of an emergency situation- including evacuation and lock downs
There is an induction process in place to inform Educators, Practice Mentors, students and volunteers of the emergency and evacuation policy and procedure
Each drill is documented, and records kept at both the service and the Enhance office
In the case of Bush Fire emergency, Enhance FDC maintains a current data base of all residences and their locations living in bushfire prone areas
A risk assessment is conducted following any emergency evacuation to ensure the service is safe to continue to provide education and care to children
An emergency telephone list (located next to the telephone or in the phone in the case of a mobile phone) includes the numbers for:
- Police
- Local fire station
- Rural Fire Service
- State Emergency Services (SES)

Educators will:

Maintain an up-to-date register of emergency telephone numbers for all children and provide a copy to be kept at the Enhance office
Ensure a copy of the register of emergency telephone numbers is kept in an Emergency Evacuation Bag along with a portable first aid kit, copy of the emergency procedure
Ensure they are contactable whilst children are in attendance by emergency services (ie: have a mobile phone charged and accessible)
Display emergency telephone numbers prominently in the kitchen and each room that is occupied by children in the residence
Rehearse, document and evaluate emergency evacuation procedures at least every 3 months. To ensure best practice Educators will conduct emergency evacuation drills in a weekly block once a term so that all children experience an evacuation on a regular basis
Ensure spontaneous rehearsals also take place during the year to assist in refining risk management procedures and evacuation procedures
Time the planned or spontaneous emergency evacuation drill and document in the Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal Record
After reflection, notes on any areas that need improving or revising are to be documented in the Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal Record. Educators will discuss with their Practice Mentor and implement strategies to make continuous improvement to procedures which will be documented in the Service’s Quality Improvement Plan (QIP).
Maintain a record ensuring that all children participate in the emergency evacuation rehearsal at least 4 times per year
Consider how to safely evacuate infant/s and children with any disabilities (include in your procedure)
Keep children calm during evacuation drills
Ensure there are no obstructions in hallways or stairways prevent access to exits
Ensure that all children are signed in and out of the service so that records accurately reflect an emergency evacuation roll at any given time
Keep a written record of all visitors to the service
Ensure all children, family members and any visitors are accounted for during the day
Communicate with families when evacuation drills have taken place to discuss with children
Ensure the designated assembly area is clearly identified and checked regularly (update plan if an alternative location may be required- depending on the reason for evacuation)
Ensure smoke detectors are regularly tested and batteries replaced annually
Ensure Educator assistants and visitors to the service are familiar with the Emergency Evacuation Policy and procedure

Once an emergency situation is over, the Educator will collaborate with their Practice Mentor to conduct a thorough evaluation of the emergency procedure, actions and communication implemented to determine if any changes need to be made.

Evacuation procedure

In the event of an emergency, the Educator will make the decision to evacuate. The Educator may also be notified of the need to evacuate by: Emergency Services if an emergency situation is announced (bush fire, flood, damaging winds/storm).

The Educator will:

Calmly inform children and visitors and other residents of the FDC residence to evacuate
Move all children to evacuation assembly location taking emergency evacuation bag (ensure sign in record is taken, gather medication, visitor sign in sheets)
Request assistance to move infants or children with disabilities from other adults in the home/ Educator assistant or emergency services if unable to complete the evacuation on their own
Check that all children and adults registered in attendance records and visitor log are accounted for
Once children are safely evacuated, administer first aid if required
Call 000 and provide their name, address and nearest cross street, reason for emergency, mobile phone contact number, number of children evacuating
Notify Enhance FDC of the evacuation (only if children’s safety is not compromised)
If the identified evacuation assembly area is not accessible, identify an alternative area where children and other adults will be safe. Communicate with emergency services to confirm your assembly area
Remain calm and reassure children
Once emergency services arrive, request assistance with supervision and contact parents/emergency contacts
Once area is confirmed to be safe by emergency services, return to the residence with children and visitors
Ensure attendance is checked against register
In the event of a fire within the service resulting in damaged phone lines, the Educator may evacuate the children and seek assistance from neighbouring residents and / or use the mobile phone as per the Emergency Evacuation Plan

Lockdown procedure

In the event of a situation where there is immediate threat or danger to the Educator and children, a ‘lock down’ will be implemented. The Educator will have identified a safe room for this purpose as part of the Emergency Plan. A safe room should have doors that can be locked from the inside and have limited or no windows.

The Educator will:

Calmly move children inside the residence to a designated area (as indicated in the Emergency Plan).
Move babies and children with mobility disabilities to designated area
Inform children- ‘this is a lockdown, stay calm and quiet’ (as per drills)
Do not let the unauthorised person/s into the residence
Conduct a head count and check attendance against sign in register
Lock external doors, window and close blinds and turn off lights
Turn mobile phone onto silent/vibrate
Contact 000 stating the name and address of the service, the nature of the emergency, the nearest cross street, the number of children and adults in lockdown
Reassure children
Wait for emergency services arrive and provide clearance
Once cleared by emergency services, contact Enhance FDC
Ensure all families are notified of the incident as soon as practicable after the lockdown has ended (in consultation with Practice Mentor and Children Services Manager)
Assist Enhance FDC to complete a serious incident notification to the regulatory authority within 24 hours when there has been an emergency that has posed a risk to the safety and wellbeing of the children

Dealing with trauma

Emergencies and natural disasters are extremely stressful, and it is normal for children and adults to feel overwhelmed and distressed. People cope with trauma in many ways. Children look to adults for reassurance, care and opportunities to share their feelings. It is important for Educators to understand the impact of disasters and seek help when needed.

Enhance FDC will support Educators to provide information to parents and families following any emergency or natural disaster including:

Will the service be open in the days and weeks ahead?
How to find alternative care and education
How to contact services for support with dealing with trauma

Preparing for an emergency

In the event of an impending emergency or standby information, Educators should continue to review advice and information provided by the following authorities:

Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment Resources
https://www.dese.gov.au/child-care-package/ccp-resources-providers/help-emergency
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology http://www.bom.gov.au/
Queensland Police: www.police.qld.gov.au
Queensland State Emergency Services www.ses.qld.gov.au
Rural Fire Service: www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au
Enhance Family Day Care

Induction and training for Educators

New Educators will undergo training on emergencies and evacuations as part of their induction on registration with Enhance FDC, and then as part of an annual re-induction refresher
Enhance FDC Practice Mentors will include review of emergency and evacuation processes and procedures as part of their ongoing support and mentoring for Educators during face to face visits and at other times.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents

Links/Nil

Acknowledgements and references

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020). Help in an emergency
Australian Government – Emergency Services: http://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/public-safety-and-law/emergency-services
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016).
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018).
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).
Fire Protection Association Australia: www.fpaa.com.au/
Fire System Services: http://www.firesys.com.au/Fire-Extinguisher-Service-and-Maintenance-pg14686.html
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2018). (amended 2020).
Qld Rural Fire Service: www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

CHNS.P12 Managing Medical Conditions Policy

MANAGING MEDICAL CONDITIONS POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	12
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	General Manager - Children Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Quality and Risk Officer
Effective date:	7th July 2021
Review date:	June 2022

Policy

Enhance Family Day Care supports high quality Education and Care environments where all children have their individual needs considered and their health, safety and wellbeing are paramount. Every reasonable precaution to protect children’s health and safety will be taken by explicitly adhering to individual medical management and risk management plans and responding to any emergency situation should they arise.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.2, 2.2.1

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS

86 Notification to parent of incident, injury, trauma or illness
87 Incident, injury, trauma and illness record
90 Medical Conditions Policy
90 (1) (a) The management of medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes or a diagnosis that a child is at risk of anaphylaxis
90 (1) (iv) Medical Conditions Communication Plan
90 (2) The medical conditions policy of the education and care service must set out practices in relation to self-administration of medication by children over preschool age if the service permits that self-administration
91 Medical conditions policy to be provided to parents
92 Medication record
93 Administration of medication
94 Exception to authorisation requirement—anaphylaxis or asthma emergency
95 Procedure for administration of medication
96 Self-administration of medication
136 First Aid qualifications
162(c) and (d) Health information to be kept in enrolment record
168 Education and care services must have policies and procedures
170 Policies and procedures are to be followed

Purpose

Enhance Family Day Care will respond to and manage medical conditions, health care needs or allergies of children and staff at the within the service ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children, staff, families and visitors.

Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children Services Team, Educators, children, families, and visitors.

Procedure

Implementation

Enhance Family Day Care is committed to adhering to privacy and confidentiality procedures when dealing with individual health care needs, allergies or relevant medical conditions. There are a number of factors that must be considered when a child with a diagnosed health care need, allergy, or medical condition is enrolled at the service. Key procedures and strategies are in place at each service to ensure their individual health, safety and wellbeing of current and enrolling children.

Enhance FDC and Educators will ensure:

all enrolment forms are reviewed to identify any specific health care need, allergy or medical condition
existing enrolment forms are reviewed annually, and parents contacted to confirm if the existing diagnosed health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition still applies and whether any new needs have been diagnosed
parents are provided with a copy of the Service’s Medical Conditions Policy upon enrolment
a child is not enrolled at, nor will attend the an Enhance FDC service without a medical management plan and prescribed medication by their medical practitioner. In particular, medication for life-threatening conditions such as asthma, anaphylaxis or diabetes must be provided at the service each day [e.g. asthma inhalers, adrenaline auto injection devices or insulin]
Educators have a clear understanding of children’s individual medical conditions
Educators and Practice Mentors have knowledge of and access to this policy and relevant health management policies (Asthma Management Policy/ Anaphylaxis Management Policy, Diabetes Management Policy)
medication will only be administered to a child:
- if the medication is authorised in writing by a parent or authorised person
- is administered in accordance to a child’s Medical Management Plan or other instructions provided by a registered medical practitioner
- as prescribed by a registered medical practitioner
- is in the original container
- has the original label clearly showing the name of the child
- is before the expiry/use by date
- after the educator has checked the child’s identity and dosage of the medication against the written instructions provided
an Administration of Medication Record is completed for each child and acknowledged by the parent at the end of each day
communication between families and Educator is on-going and effective
Educators receive appropriate professional development and training in managing specific medical conditions and meeting children’s individual needs
Educators hold current accredited first aid and CPR qualifications, emergency asthma and emergency anaphylaxis management certificates
Educators have a clear understanding about their role and responsibilities when caring for children with a medical condition
families provide required information on their child’s medical condition, including:
- medication requirements
- allergies
- medical practitioner contact details
- medical management plan
a medical management plan has been developed in consultation with parents and the child’s medical practitioner and provided to Enhance and/or
- an individual Asthma or Anaphylaxis Action Plan is developed in consultation with parents and the child’s medical practitioner eg: (ASCIA) or National Asthma Council of Australia
- an individual Diabetes Management Plan is developed in consultation with parents and the child’s medical practitioner
risk minimisation plan has been developed in consultation with parents and management prior to the child commencing at the service
to record any prescribed health information and retain copies of medical management plan, anaphylaxis management plan or asthma management plan and risk minimisation plan in the child’s enrolment folder
Educators have access to emergency contact information for the child
a copy of the child’s medical management plan is visibly displayed in an area not generally available to families and known to educators and educator assistants in the Service.

In the event of a high-risk scenario where a child suffers from a reaction, incident, situation, or event related to a medical condition the FDC educator will:

follow the child’s Emergency Medical/Action Plan
commence first aid measures/monitoring
call an ambulance immediately by dialling 000
contact the parent/guardian when practicable but as soon as possible
contact the emergency contact if the parents or guardian can’t be contacted when practicable but as soon as possible
contact their Practice Mentor or Enhance FDC office as soon as possible
complete an Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record as soon as possible
Enhance FDC will notify the Dept of Education within 24 hours of all serious incidents

Families will ensure:

they provide Enhance FDC with accurate information about their child’s health needs, allergies, medical conditions, and medication requirements on the enrolment form
they provide the Educator and Enhance FDC with a medical management plan prior to enrolment of their child
they consult with Educator and Practice Mentor to develop a risk minimisation plan
the enrolment form is completed in its entirety providing specific details about the child’s medical condition
they acknowledge they have received a copy of the Medical Conditions Policy and Administration of Medication Policy
they notify Enhance FDC and Educator if any changes are to occur to the medical management plan
they notify Enhance FDC and educator verbally when children are taking any short-term medications AND whether or not these medications may be self-administered (only applicable for a child over preschool age)
they provide adequate supplies of the required medication and complete the Administration of Medication Record
they provide an updated copy of the child’s medical management plan annually or evidence from a Medical Practitioner to confirm the plan remains unchanged
they provide written consent for their child’s medical management plan to be displayed at the service

Self-Administration of Medication

A child over preschool age may self-administer medication in specific circumstances. Please refer the Administration of Medication Policy for further information.

Medical Management and Risk Minimisation Plan

All children with a diagnosed health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition must have a medical management and risk minimisation plan in place. All fields in the medical management section should be completed by a medical Practitioner and should include a recent photo of the child.

a copy of the medical management and risk minimisation plan will be displayed for Educators to see to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the child, whilst ensuring the child’s privacy by displaying only in an area generally only available the Educator and Enhance FDC staff.

A meeting will be arranged with the parents/guardian as soon as Enhance FDC has been advised of the diagnosed health care need, allergy or medical condition. During this meeting a risk minimisation plan will be developed in consultation with the parent/guardian to ensure:

that the risks relating to the child’s specific health care need, allergy, or medical condition are assessed and minimised
that practices and procedures in relation to the safe handling, preparation, serving, and consumption of food are developed and implemented
that the parents/families are notified of any known allergens that pose a risk to a child and strategies for minimising the risk are developed and implemented
practices are developed and implemented to ensure that all Educators, Enhance FDC staff and volunteers can identify the child, the child’s medical management plan and the location of the child’s medication
that the child does not attend the care without medication prescribed by the child’s medical practitioner in relation to the child’s specific health need, allergy or medical condition
risk minimisation plan(s) are reviewed at least annually and/or revised with each change in the medical management plan in conjunction with parents/guardians
all relevant information pertaining to the child’s health and medical condition is communicated to parents at the end of each day by the educator
parents are notified by the educator in advance of any special activities taking place such as celebrations, sporting events or excursions so plans of safe inclusion can be developed
appropriate hygiene practices are followed by the educator when managing medical conditions in accordance with the Control of Infectious Diseases Policy.

Communication Plan

The communication plan explains how relevant Educators, staff members and volunteers are informed about the medical management and risk management plans and how the parent of the child can communicate any changes to the diagnosed health care need, allergy or medical condition.

A communication plan will be created after the meeting with the parents/guardian to ensure:

all relevant parties are informed about the Medical Conditions Policy, the medical management plan and risk minimisation plan for the child; and
an individual child communication document is created so that a parent can communicate any changes to the medical management plan and risk management plan for the child in writing.

At all times, families who have a child attending the service who have a diagnosed healthcare need, allergy or medical condition will be provided with a copy of this policy and other relevant policies specific to their child’s health management and communication plans.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents

Nil

Acknowledgements and references

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Australian society of clinical immunology and allergy. ascia. https://www.allergy.org.au/hp/anaphylaxis/ascia-action-plan-for-anaphylaxis
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016).
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018).
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).
Federal Register of Legislation Privacy Act 1988.
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (amended 2020).
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early
childhood education and care services (5th Ed.). Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. NSW Government. (n.d.).
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
Department of Education Victoria Meeting children’s health needs (2020).

CHNS.P11 Illness in Care Policy

ILLNESS IN CARE POLICY

Document Control

Policy number:	11
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	General Manager - Children Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Quality and Risk Officer
Effective date:	7th July 2021
Review date:	June 2022

Policy

Enhance Family Day Care supports high quality Education and Care environments where all children have their individual needs considered and their health, safety and wellbeing are paramount. The National Quality Standard requires early childhood education and care services to implement specific strategies to minimise the spread of infectious illness and maintain a healthy environment for all children, Educators and families. We acknowledge the difficulty of keeping children at home or away from childcare when they are sick and the pressures this causes for parents, however Enhance FDC aims to minimise the transmission of infectious diseases by adhering to regulations and policies protecting the health of all Educators, children, team members, families and visitors.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.2, 2.1.1, 2.1.2

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS

77 Health, hygiene and safe food practices
85 Incident, injury, trauma and illness policies and procedures
88 Infectious diseases
90 Medical conditions policy
92 Medication record
93 Administration of medication
96 Self-administration of medication

Purpose

We aim to maintain the health and wellbeing of all children, staff, Educators and their families, ensuring a healthy environment and minimising cross contamination and the spread of infectious illnesses by implementing best practice and high standards of personal hygiene within our services.

Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children Services Team, Educators, children, families, and visitors of Enhance Family Day Care.

Procedure

Implementation

Enhance Family Day Care has adopted the Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services) publication recommendations, developed by the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council to guide our practices to help limit the spread of illness and disease. We aim to provide families with up to date information regarding specific illnesses and ways to minimise the spread of infection within the Family Day Care Service and at home.

We are guided by decisions regarding exclusion periods and notification of infectious diseases by the Australian Government- Department of Health and local public health units in our jurisdiction as per the Public Health Act.

We understand that it can be difficult for families to know when their child is sick. Families may experience problems taking time off work or study to care for their child at home. Obtaining leave from work or study can contribute to negative attitudes in the workplace which can cause stress on families. Families may also experience guilt when they send their child to care who is not well.

However, it is imperative that families maintain a focus not only on the well-being of their own child but also upon the well-being of other children and the Educator of their service. To protect the health of children and Educators, it is important that children and Educators who are ill are kept away from the service for the recommended period.

At times, an outbreak of a new or ‘novel’ virus or infection, such as COVID-19, may require exclusion from the Service that is not specified in general exclusion periods for common infectious illnesses. Information, education and recommendations regarding any ‘novel’ virus will be provided by the Australian Government Department of Health and/or local public health unit.

The need for exclusion and the length of time a person is excluded depends on:

how easily the infection can spread
how long the person is likely to be infectious and
the severity of the infectious disease or illness.

Our Educators are not medical practitioners and are not able to diagnose whether a child has an infectious illness. However, if an infectious illness is suspected, Enhance FDC and its Educators may ask the family to collect their child from care as soon as possible or return when they are well enough to participate in the programmed activities and experiences.

Enhance FDC staff and Educators may request families seek medical advice and provide a medical certificate stating that the child is no longer infectious prior to returning to the service. Please note: in the instance it is not possible to obtain a doctor’s certificate or clearance for suspected cases of an illness, the Children Services Manager will decide when the child is able to return to care.

to help minimise the spread of illness and infectious diseases our Enhance FDC implements rigorous hygiene and infection control procedures and cleaning routines including:
effective hand washing hygiene
cough and sneeze etiquette
use of protective gloves
exclusion of children, educators or staff when they are unwell or displaying symptoms of an infectious disease or virus
effective cleaning of the environment, toys and resources (including bedding)
requesting parents and visitors to wash their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer upon arrival and departure at the service

Children arriving at the Family Day Care service who are unwell

Educators will not accept a child into the service if they:

have a contagious illness or infectious disease
have a temperature above 38°C when assessed prior to entry to the service
are unwell and unable to participate in normal activities or require additional attention
have had a temperature, vomiting in the last 24 hours
have had diarrhoea in the last 48 hours
have started a course of anti-biotics in the last 24 hours
have been given medication for a temperature prior to arriving at the service (eg: Panadol)

Children who become ill while in care

Children may become unwell throughout the day; in which case the Educator will respond to children’s individual symptoms of illness and provide immediate comfort and care.

Educators will closely monitor and document the child’s symptoms on the Illness Register
Children who are unwell at the service will be able to rest in a supervised area away from other children (where available) until parents or the emergency contact person is able to collect them
A child who has passed runny stools/vomited whilst at the service will be sent home and may only return once a Doctor’s Certificate has been produced.
Educators will take the child’s temperature. If the child’s temperature is 38°C or higher, the Educator will contact the child’s parents/guardian/emergency contacts as soon as possible to have the child collected (within 30 minutes).
For infants under three months old with a temperature/fever over 38°C, parents will be immediately notified and requested to seek medical assistance. If the parent cannot take the child to a GP immediately, permission will be required for the Educator to seek medical assistance urgently.
Educators will monitor the child closely and be alerted to vomiting, coughing or convulsions
Parents may be asked to provide verbal authorisation to administer paracetamol (Panadol)
Educators will check that written parental permission to administer paracetamol has been provided during enrolment and filed in the child’s individual record
Educators will check the medical history of the child to ensure there are no allergies before administering Panadol
Accurate records will be kept of the child’s temperature, time taken, medication administered, dosage, Educator’s full name and name of an Enhance FDC staff member or Educator Assistant who witnessed the administration of medication (if relevant)
Educators will attempt to lower the child’s temperature by:
- removing excessive clothing (shoes, socks, jumpers etc).
- encouraging the child to take small sips of water
Educators will continue to document any progressing symptoms.
Educators will complete the Incident, Illness, Accident and Trauma Record ensuring the form has been completed correctly and signed by the parent/guardian/emergency contact.
Educators will thoroughly clean and disinfect any toys, resources or equipment that may be contaminated by a sick child.

Common colds and flu

The common cold (Viral upper respiratory tract infections) are very common in children occurring 6-10 times a year on average with the highest number usually being during the first 2 years in childcare, kindergarten or school. Symptoms may include coughing, runny nose and a slight temperature.

In circumstances where a child appears to have cold or flu symptoms, Educators will determine if the child is well enough to continue at the service or if the child requires parental care.

Enhance FDC aims to support the family’s need for childcare however, families should understand that a child who is unwell will need one-on-one attention which places additional pressure on the Educator and the needs of other children.

Children who are generally healthy, will recover from a common cold in a few days. Keeping a child home and away from childcare, helps to prevent the spread of germs.

Influenza is a highly contagious illness and can spread to others for 24 hours before symptoms start. To prevent the spread of influenza our service encourages team members, Educators and children to be vaccinated once a year.

Reporting Outbreaks to the Public Health Unit

Enhance FDC is required to notify the local Public Health Unit (PHU) by phone as soon as possible after they are made aware that a child enrolled in the service is suffering from one of the following vaccine preventable diseases or an outbreak of gastroenteritis:

Diphtheria
Mumps
Poliomyelitis
Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib)
Meningococcal disease
Rubella ("German measles”)
Measles
Pertussis ("whooping cough")
Tetanus
An outbreak of 2 or more people with gastrointestinal or respiratory illness

Enhance FDC will closely monitor health alerts and guidelines from Public Health Units and the Australian Government- Department of Health for any advice and emergency health management in the event of a contagious illness outbreak.

Excluding children from the Family Day Care Service (Educator's residence)

When a child has been diagnosed with an illness or infectious disease, Enhance FDC will refer to Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services to establish the recommended exclusion period.

When an infectious disease has been diagnosed, the educator will display appropriate documentation and alerts for families including information on the illness/disease, symptoms, infectious period and the exclusion period (This information can be obtained from Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care.
If a vaccine preventable disease occurs in the Service, children who have not been fully immunised will be excluded from care.
Enhance FDC will check all children’s Immunisation records and alert parents as required.
A medical clearance from the child’s General Practitioner stating that the child is cleared to return to the childcare setting will also be required before the child returns to care.
Children that have had diarrhoea and vomiting will be asked to stay away from the service for 48 hours after symptoms have ceased to reduce infection transmission as symptoms can develop again after 24 hours in many instances.

Notifying families and emergency contact

It is a requirement of the Service that all emergency contacts can pick up an ill child within a 60-minute timeframe.
In the event, that the ill child is not collected in a timely manner, or should parents refuse to collect the child a warning letter will be sent to the family outlining the Enhance FDC policies and requirements. The letter of warning will specify that if there is a future breach of this nature, the child’s position may be terminated.

Enhance FDC and Educators will ensure

effective hygiene policies and procedures are adhered to at all times to prevent the spread of illnesses.
they promote effective hand hygiene and cough etiquette
effective environmental cleaning policies and procedures are adhered to all times
all families are provided access to relevant policies upon enrolment which will be explained by management including: Management of Infectious Diseases Policy, Illness in Care Policy, Incident, Illness, Accident and Trauma Policy, Handwashing Policy and Medical Conditions Policy.
families are provided with relevant information from a trusted source about preventing the spread of illnesses
that any child who registers a temperature of 38°C or above is collected from the service and excluded for 24 hours since the last elevated temperature or until the Service receives a doctors clearance letter stating that the child is cleared of any infection and able to return to child care.
a child who has not been immunised will be excluded from the Service if an infectious disease is reported within the service community and that child is deemed to be in danger of contracting the illness.
families of a child with complex and chronic medical conditions will be notified in the event of an outbreak of an illness or infectious disease that could compromise their health
families are notified to pick up their child if they have vomited or had diarrhoea whilst at the service

Enhance FDC will ensure

notification is made to the Regulatory Authorities within 24 hours of any incident involving serious injury or trauma to, or illness of, a child while being educated and cared for by an Education and Care Service, which:
- a reasonable person would consider required urgent medical attention from a registered medical practitioner or
- for which the child attended, or ought reasonably to have attended, a hospital. For example: whooping cough, broken limb and anaphylaxis reaction
any incident or emergency where the attendance of emergency services at the Education and Care Service premises was sought, or ought reasonably to have been sought (eg: severe asthma attack, seizure or anaphylaxis)
parents or guardians are notified as soon as practicable and no later than 24 hours of the illness, accident, or trauma occurring.

Parents will ensure that

They monitor their child’s health and not allow them to attend the service if they have an infectious illness or display symptoms of an illness
For children who have ongoing medical needs such as asthma or anaphylaxis, they will regularly review their child’s health care action plans to ensure the Educator is able to manage their individual needs as required
They implement effective hygiene routines at home such as regular handwashing and sneeze and cough routines (use of tissues, covering their mouth with coughing, sneezing into a tissue or elbow), to support health and hygiene practices at the service
They notify the Educator if their child has been unwell in the past 24 hours or someone in the family is/has been sick.
They keep up to date with their child’s immunisation, providing a copy of the updated AIR Immunisation History Statement to the service following each immunisation on the National Immunisation Schedule.
They abide by the exclusion periods set forth by the Educator or service in the instance that their child becomes ill at home or whilst in care

Returning to care after surgery

Children who have undergone any type of surgery will need to take advice from their doctor/surgeon as to when it is appropriate and safe to return to childcare. A medical clearance statement will be required to ensure the child is fit and able to return to the Service and participate in daily activities.

Induction and Training for Educators

New Educators will undergo training on hygiene practices and infection control (Dept of Education – The Learning Place) as part of their induction on registration with Enhance FDC, and then as part of an annual re-induction refresher
Enhance FDC Practice Mentors will include review of hygiene and infection control procedures as part of their ongoing support and mentoring for Educators during face to face visits and at other times.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents

Nil

Acknowledgements and references

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. (2009).
Australian Government- Department of Health https://www.health.gov.au/
Australian Government Department of Health Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC)
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Standard. (2020)
Kearns, K. (2017). The Business of Childcare (4th Ed.).
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC): https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2012) (updated June 2013). Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services.
Qld Health: http://disease-control.health.qld.gov.au/
Public Health Act 2010
Raising Children Network: https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/fever
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
The Sydney Children’s Hospitals network (2020). https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/search/site?query=fever
Safe Work Australia

CHNS.P16 Nutrition Policy (Family Provided Meals)

NUTRITION POLICY (FAMILY PROVIDED MEALS)

Document Control

Policy number:	16
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	Children's Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	01 December 2021
Review date:	December 2022

Enhance Family Day Care recognises the importance of safe food handling and healthy eating to promote the growth and development of young children and is committed to supporting healthy food and drink choices for children in our care. It is acknowledged that the early childhood setting has an important role in supporting families to make nutritious food choices for their children and is committed to providing resources and education to children and families of our service.

We are committed to promoting the healthy eating key messages outlined in the Australian Dietary Guidelines, the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and the Australian Government’s Get Up & Grow-Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for Early Childhood.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS

77 Health, hygiene and safe food practices
78 Food and beverages
79 Service providing food and beverages
80 Weekly menu
90 Medical conditions policy
91 Medical conditions policy to be provided to parents
162 Health information to be kept in enrolment record
168 Education and care service must have policies and procedures

Purpose

Enhance Family Day Care is required by legislation to ensure the provision of healthy foods and drinks that meet the requirements for children according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines. It is essential that our service partners with families to provide education about nutrition and promote healthy eating habits for young children to positively influence their health and wellbeing. Dietary and healthy eating habits formed in the early years are shown to continue into adulthood and can reduce the risk factors associated with chronic adult conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

This policy affirms our position on the provision of healthy food and drink while children are in our care and the promotion and education of healthy choices for optimum nutrition.

We believe in providing a positive eating environment that reflects dietary requirements, cultural and family values, and promotes lifelong learning for children, as we commit to implementing and embedding the healthy eating key messages outlined in the National Healthy Eating Guidelines for Early Childhood Settings outlined in the Get Up & Grow resources.

Our Service is also committed to ensuring consistently high standards of food preparation and food storage and transportation are adhered to, where applicable.

Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children Services Team, Educators, children, families, and visitors of Enhance Family Day Care Services.

Implementation

Enhance FDC has a responsibility to help children to develop good food practices and approaches, by working with families and Educators.

We will promote the Australian Dietary Guidelines to families and will make recommendations that children are provided 50% of the recommended dietary intake for all nutrients in their FDC lunchboxes. Food will be served at various times throughout the day to cater for all children’s nutritional needs.

Mealtimes will reflect a relaxed and pleasant environment where Educators engage in meaningful conversations with children. This assists in creating a positive and enjoyable eating environment.

Breastfeeding

Educators will:

Provide a suitable place where mothers can breastfeed their babies or express breast milk
Support mothers to continue breastfeeding until babies are at least 12 months of age while offering appropriate complementary foods from around 6 months of age
Ensure the safe handling of breast milk and infant formula including transporting, storing, thawing, warming, preparing, and bottle feeding
In consultation with families, offer cooled pre-boiled water as an additional drink from around 6 months of age
Where breastfeeding is discontinued before 12 months of age, substitute with an infant formula provided by the family
Always bottle-feed babies by holding baby in a semi-upright position
Always supervise babies while drinking and eating, ensuring safe bottle-feeding and eating practices at all times

Promote healthy lunchboxes and liquids in our services

Educators will:

Provide information to families on the types of foods and drinks recommended for children and that are suitable for children’s lunchboxes
Provide information to families on how to read the Nutritional Information Panel on food and drink labels
Encourage children to eat the more nutritious foods provided in their lunchbox, such as sandwiches, fruit, cheese and yoghurt, before eating any less nutritious food provided
Strongly discourage the provision of highly processed snack foods high in fat, salt, and/or sugar, and low in essential nutrients in children’s lunchboxes. Examples of these foods include sweet biscuits, some muesli bars, breakfast bars and fruit filled bars, and chips.
Ensure water is readily available for children to drink throughout the day in both the indoor and outdoor environment
Be aware of children with food allergies, food intolerances, and special diets and consult with families to develop individual management plans
Ensure young children do not have access to foods that may cause choking
Ensure all children remain seated while eating and drinking
Ensure all children are always supervised children whilst eating and drinking
Participate in opportunities to undertake regular professional development to maintain and enhance their knowledge about early childhood nutrition
Display nutritional information for families and keep them regularly updated
Ensure infants are fed individually
Ensure age and developmentally appropriately utensils and furniture are provided for each child
Not allow food to be used as a form of punishment or to be used as a reward or bribe
Not allow the children to be force fed or being required to eat food they do not like or more than they want to eat
Encourage toddlers to be independent and develop social skills at mealtimes
Establish healthy eating habits in the children by incorporating nutritional information into our program
Talk to families about their child’s food intake and voice any concerns about their child’s eating
Encourage parents to the best of our ability to continue our healthy eating message in their homes

Food hygiene

Food poisoning is caused by bacteria, viruses, or other toxins being present in food and can cause extremely unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and fevers. Children under five years of age are considered a high-risk group as their immune systems are still developing and they produce less of the stomach acid required to kill harmful bacteria than older children or adults (Foodsafety.gov, 2019).

Enhance FDC Educators will undertake food safety training upon registration with Enhance FDC and bi-annually thereafter. Educators will strictly adhere to food hygiene standards to prevent the risk of food poisoning.

Storing food

Educators will:

Ensure that all children have a space in the fridge to store their food if required
Ensure the refrigerator and freezer has a thermometer and that the refrigerator is maintained at 5˚C or below and the freezer is maintained at -17˚C or below
Ensure fridge and freezer temperatures are checked regularly or daily
Ensure all bottles and jars are refrigerated after opening
Place ‘left-over’ hot food in an appropriate sealed container in the refrigerator as soon as the steam has stopped rising. Food can be cooled quickly to this point by placing in smaller quantities in shallow containers, reducing the amount of time sitting in the ‘danger zone’
Store cleaning supplies separate to food items

Cleaning

Educators will:

Ensure that food preparation areas and surfaces are cleaned both before, after, and during any food preparation
Ensure that all cooking and serving utensils are cleaned and sanitised before use
Ensure that all dishwashing sponges, brushes, and scourers are cleaned after each use and allowed to air dry or placed in the dishwasher
Ensure the food storage area is clean, ventilated, dry, pest free, and not in direct sunlight
Ensure the refrigerator and freezer is cleaned regularly and door seals checked and replaced if not in good repair
Prevent pest infestations by cleaning spills as quickly as possible and ensuring rubbish and food scraps are disposed of frequently
Ensure that the floor mop is thoroughly cleaned, and air dried after each use
Replace any cleaning equipment that shows signs of wear or permanent soiling

Personal hygiene for food handlers

Educators will ensure:

Long hair is tied back or covered with a net
Gloves are used when serving food to children
Nails are kept short and clean and no nail polish is worn (as it can chip into food and hide dirt under the nails)
Strict hand-washing hygiene is adhered to, including washing hands each time they return to the kitchen before continuing with food preparation duties
Wounds or cuts are covered with a brightly coloured, waterproof dressing (that will easily be seen if it falls off), and gloves will be worn over any dressings
Ensure children wash and dry their hands (using soap, running water, and single use disposable towels or individual hand towels) before handling food or eating meals and snacks
Ensure food is stored and served at safe temperatures (below 5oC or above 60oC), with consideration to the safe eating temperature requirements of children
Discourage children from handling other children’s food and utensils

Creating a positive learning environment

Educators will:

Sit with the children at meal and snack times to role-model healthy food and drink choices and actively engage children in conversations about the food and drink provided
Choose water as a preferred drink
Endeavour to recognise, nurture and celebrate the dietary differences of children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Create a relaxed atmosphere at mealtimes where children have enough time to eat and enjoy their food as well as enjoying the social interactions with educators and other children
Encourage older toddlers and pre-schoolers to assist to set and clear the table and serve their own food and drink, providing opportunities for them to develop independence and self- esteem
Respect each child’s appetite. If a child is not hungry or is satisfied, do not insist he/she eats.
Be patient with messy or slow eaters
Encourage children to try different foods but do not force them to eat
Not use food as a reward or withhold food from children for disciplinary purposes
Role-model and discuss safe food handling with children
Foster awareness and understanding of healthy food and drink choices through including in the children’s program a range of learning experiences encouraging children’s healthy eating
Encourage children to participate in a variety of ‘hands-on’ food preparation experiences
Provide opportunities for children to engage in discovery learning and discussion about healthy food and drink choices
Embed the importance of healthy eating and physical activity in everyday activities and experiences.

Cooking with children

Cooking experiences may sometimes be carried out with the children as a part of the educational program. On these occasions Educators will be vigilant to ensure that the experience remains safe, and relevant food hygiene practices are adhered to.

Meal provision by Educators

Where an Educator is providing meals as part of their service offering, the Educator is required to complete a Food Safety Supervisor course bi-annually. Educators will also need to confirm any additional requirements with their local council.

Families will:

Read the Nutrition and Food Safety Policy upon orientation at the Service
Ensure details of any food allergies or intolerances or specific dietary requirements be provided to the service and Educator, and work in partnership with the service and Educator to develop an appropriate response so that children’s individual dietary needs are met
Communicate regularly with the Educator about food and nutrition related experiences and provide up to date information to assist the Educator with meal times
Where possible, ensure that children have a healthy and nutritious lunchbox that meets the Australian Dietary Guidelines for children and babies
Where there it is not possible to meet the Australian Dietary Guidelines for children and babies, families will ensure that there is variety and that every effort is made to include healthy meals and snacks
Ensure that they are aware of any foods that have been excluded from the care environment and be vigilant in keeping these items out of their child’s lunchbox

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this policy.

Links to associated documents

Nil

Acknowledgements and references

Australian Breast-Feeding Association Guidelines: https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014). Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. (2009).
Foodsafety.gov. (2019): https://www.foodsafety.gov
Food Safety Standards (Australia only). (2015):
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/safetystandards/Pages/default.aspx
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand Act 1991

CHNS.P15 Assessment of family day care educators, assistants and persons residing at family day care residences policy

Policy number:	15
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	General Manager - Children's Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Cathy Cahill
Effective date:	29th October 2021
Review date:	October 2022

Enhance Family Day Care has the responsibility of ensuring Family Day Care educators, educator assistants and all persons over the age of 18 residing at the family day care residence are fit and proper persons to be involved in the provision of education and care to young children. Enhance FDC thoroughly assesses and closely monitors Educators (including Educator assistants) and persons residing at the property to ensure the fitness and propriety of all adults. Practice Mentors provide Educators with ongoing professional support, assistance and supervision and maintain accurate records to safeguard children’s safety and wellbeing.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)
Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.2, 2.2.3
Quality Area 4: Staffing Arrangements: 4.1.1
Quality Area 7: Leadership and Governance: 7.1.2

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL LAW ACT (2010)
Section 3 (2)(a); 173

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS
84 Awareness of child protection law
119 Family Day Care Educator and Family Day Care Educator assistants to be at least 18 years of age
127 Family Day Care Educator Qualifications
136 First Aid Qualifications
144 Family Day care Educator Assistants
153 Register of family day care Educators, coordinators and Educator Assistants
154 Record of staff, family day care coordinators and family day care Educator Assistants
163 Residents at family day care residence and family day care educator assistants to be fit and proper persons
164 Requirement for notice of new persons at residence
168 Education and care services must have policies and procedures
169 Additional policies and procedures – family day care service

Purpose

Enhance FDC adheres to the Education and Care Services Regulations and conducts assessments of Educators (including Educator Assistants) and provides comprehensive screening, onboarding and re-registration processes. Whilst adults over 18 residing at an FDC property do not undergo their own onboarding and re-registration, Enhance FDC considers these persons to be part of the onboarding and re-registration of Educators and will consider the ongoing suitability of these persons as part of the process of re-registration. Educator assistants and all persons over the age of 18 who reside at the family day care residence will be required to prove that they are fit and proper persons, are suitably qualified and, for Educator Assistants, hold the relevant emergency care qualifications.

Scope

This policy applies to Approved Provider, Children Services Team, Educators, Educator Assistants, adult residents, and visitors of Enhance FDC services.

Implementation

To ensure the ongoing health, safety and wellbeing of children, Enhance FDC is responsible for assessing a person’s suitability as an Educator or Educator Assistant and must ensure that all persons who work or reside in the premises of an approved Enhance FDC residence are considered to be ‘fit and proper persons’.

We achieve this by:

Comprehensively screening all applicants for educators and educator assistants
Ensuring all applicants who are working or residing with children have the required clearances (Blue cards, criminal history checks)
Annually assess the FDC residence or more frequently in the case of new persons residing at the residence or in the case of an incident or accident
An assessment process is developed and conducted for all educators and educator assistants to ensure they are considered to be fit and proper persons to care for children prior to registering them in the service and as a rigorous and ongoing assessment process annually (or as required) to re-register
Enhance Educators and educator assistants provide relevant documentation demonstrating they are a fit and proper person. This includes educators and educator assistants to:
- Provide proof of age
- Have a criminal history check
- Hold a current and verified paid Blue Card
- Hold a current First Aid qualification (including CPR training)
- Have undertaken an approved anaphylaxis management training
- Have undertaken emergency asthma management training
- Hold a current Driver’s License if applicable
A register of family day care educators, educator assistants and residents over 18 years of age is maintained
Educators must additionally provide relevant documentation to demonstrate they:
- Have, or are actively working towards, at least an approved Certificate III level and care qualification
- Maintain current public liability insurance
All Educators, Educator assistants, Practice Mentors and other staff engaged by the service are not only approved to work with children through the Blue Card system but are those who have the right personal qualities, skills and experiences to provide high quality supervision and care to children
Any person residing at the FDC residence is assessed as, and remain, fit and proper for the service to operate
Any person over 18 years of age residing at the Family Day Care residence holds a Blue Card
All FDC educators, Educator assistants and Practice Mentors are over the age of 18 years of age
Practice Mentors, Educators and Educator Assistants have completed approved child protection training and maintain up-to-date knowledge of child protection law at least annually
Ensure Educators new to FDC and Enhance FDC are provided with initial support and monitoring during the first months of operation
Written consent is provided by parents of each child being educated and cared for by the Educator to the use of the family day care Educator assistant in each specific circumstance
A record of nominated supervisors, Practice Mentors, Educators and Educator Assistants engaged is maintained and kept up to date
Implementing the grievance procedure or taking disciplinary action in the event of a breach of ‘Code of Conduct’
Any allegations of Harm or potential harm are swiftly and appropriately responded to
Children are re-allocated and/or a service is suspended if a person or persons residing in the FDC residence do NOT meet the ‘fit and proper’ assessment

Practice Mentors will provide ongoing assessment of the Educator and Educator Assistant through monitoring and regular visits to Educator's homes.

Practice Mentors will:

Provide ongoing support and advice to Educators and Educator Assistants when education and care is being provided
Monitor and supervise Educators and Educator Assistants through a range of methods including:
- Scheduled face-to-face visits to educator’s home, sufficient in number and frequency to ensure quality of care is maintained
- Telephone conversations
- Emails and text messages
- Video Conferencing calls
Offer professional learning opportunities to Educators, Educator Assistants and other staff involved in the service
Provide evidence of adequate monitoring and support through use of the FDSee application and reports including acknowledging and reporting any areas of concern and processes put in place to rectify these areas or quality care issues in relation to the NQS to the Children Services Manager

Enhance Educators and Educators Assistants will:

Ensure all documentation demonstrating they are a fit and proper person is provided to Enhance and kept up to date
Notify the service of any new person aged 18 years or over who resides or intends to reside at the family day care residence (including overseas or interstate visitors)
Notify the service of any children residing or intending to reside in the FDC residence who are turning 18 years of age at least 60 days prior to them turning 18
Notify their Practice Mentor or Children Services Manager immediately if they are aware of any circumstance relating to a person over the age of 18 years who has been previously considered as fit and proper by the provider may no longer be fit and proper to be in the company of children
Keep a detailed record of all visitors to the family day care residence, including their name, signature, date, time of the visitor’s arrival and departure
Ensure a child being educated and cared for by the Family Day Care Service is never left alone with a visitor or student
Provide a risk management plan to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children attending the service if required
Ensure copies are provided of home insurances, rental agreements, and any other documentation for approval of place of residence to operate a family day care service

Blue cards

Blue Card Services administers the blue card system—Queensland’s Working with Children Check. The blue card system regulates activities which are essential to children’s lives, including childcare, education, sport, cultural activities, and foster care. Blue Card Services check and monitor people who work in these industries and help organisations to create safe environments for children.

Screening and No Card, No Start

All adults over the age of 18 who work as an Educator, or who reside in a property with an Educator delivering Family Day Care, must apply for and hold a blue card. Educators and adult residents must have a valid blue card prior to care commencing at the residence. The No Card, No Start law means Educators must have a valid blue card before commencing care. Educators cannot commence work with a submitted application.

In the instance that an Educator does not renew their blue card before the expiry date, they will be subject to the No Card, No Start law and cannot work.

To help ensure the safety of children and young people in Queensland, the blue card system stops certain people from holding or applying for a blue card such as:

People convicted of disqualifying offences
Current negative notice holders
People convicted of serious offences as they can only hold a blue card in exceptional circumstances.

It is against the law for disqualified or restricted people to apply for a blue card. Enhance will not operate a family day care service from any residence where a disqualified or restricted person lives. More information about restricted persons can be found here.

Ongoing Monitoring & changes to police information

Enhance FDC and Blue Card Services will continuously monitor the status of all Blue Card holders linked to the organisation. If there is a change in police information for any Educator or adult resident, they are obligated to report this change to Blue Card services. Failure to do so may result in a fine.

A change in police information includes:

Any charge or conviction for an offence (conviction means being found guilty by a court, or the acceptance of a plea of guilty by a court—whether or not a conviction is recorded and regardless of when and where it took place)
The existence of police investigative information relating to allegations of serious child-related sexual offences, even if no charges were laid
Being the subject of an application for a disqualification order (i.e. an order that prohibits a person from holding or applying for a blue/exemption card)
Being respondent to an application for offender prohibition order under the Child Protection (Offender Reporting and Offender Prohibition Order) Act 2004
Becoming subject to reporting obligations or a child protection offender prohibition order under the Child Protection (Offender Reporting and Offender Prohibition Order) Act 2004; or a disqualification order; or a sexual offender order

Where there is a change in police notification, the blue card holder automatically becomes a restricted person. A restricted person is a person who either:

has been issued a negative notice
has a suspended blue card
is a disqualified person
has been charged with a disqualifying offence that has not been finalised.

It is an offence for a restricted person to start or continue working or volunteering in restricted employment, such as Family Day Care. Enhance will cancel or suspend registration or suspend care if an Educator, or an adult resident in a FDC residence is considered to be a restricted person.

Where an offence is considered relevant to child related employment, Blue Card services will notify Enhance of the information. This may result in suspension or cancellation of registration (for Educators) or suspension of service in the case of a change in Blue Card status of an adult resident.

Educators registered with Enhance are required to notify their Practice Mentor or Children Services Manager of any offence that may affect their blue card, or of any offence committed by an adult resident that may affect their blue card.

Exemption cards

Exemption cards are held by police officers with the Queensland Police Service and teachers registered with the Queensland College of Teachers and are only required for work outside of a person’s professional duties (e.g. if a police officer or a teacher become an Educator, or live in an Educators house).

Exemption cards are valid for 3 years and need to be renewed prior to the expiry date. For exemption cards issued without an expiry date, these cards need to be renewed by 31st August 2023.

Exemption card holders are not required to wait until they receive their physical exemption card to commence work, however, Enhance will only allow exemption card holders to commence work on receipt of a clear police check.

Enhance FDC will regularly validate exemption cards to ensure that there are no changes to the eligibility of the card holder.

Renewals

Educators and adult occupants are required to renew their blue card before the expiration date printed on their blue card. As long as the renewal application is submitted prior to the expiry date issued on the current blue card, Educators will be able to continue working. If an Educator or adult occupant does not apply for a new blue card before it expires, care will be suspended until a new blue card has been issued.

Enhance requires Educators and adult occupants to submit their renewal applications to Blue Card services at least 60 days before the current blue card expiry.

Residents turning 18

Educators are required to inform Enhance of any resident who is turning 18 within 60 days. Practice Mentors will assess the resident for fitness prior to the resident’s 18th birthday.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this Policy.

Links to associated documents

Nil

Acknowledgements and references

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Blue Card Services (2021) https://www.qld.gov.au/law/laws-regulated-industries-and-accountability/queensland-laws-and-regulations/regulated-industries-and-licensing/blue-card-services
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018).
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011) Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2018). (Amended 2020).
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations (2017)
Guide to the National Quality Standard. (2020)
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018)

CHNS.P14 Safe Play Spaces policy

SAFE PLAY SPACES POLICY

Policy number:	14
Policy area:	CHNS
Policy owner:	General Manager - Children Services
Responsible / contact officer:	Quality and Risk Officer
Effective date:	September 2021
Review date:	September 2022

Enhance Family Day Care supports high quality Education and Care environments where all children have their individual needs considered and their health, safety and wellbeing are paramount. We believe that the physical environment contributes to high quality educational opportunities for children and that well designed and controlled environments help ensure the safety and wellbeing of children. Consideration is given in each Enhance FDC service about resources, materials, spaces, layout, air, and light as well as recommendations from Kidsafe, the leading National Authority so that children are always safe and free from harm.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)
Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.2., 2.2.1, 2.2.2
Quality Area 3: Physical Environment: 3.1.1, 3.1.2

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS
73 Educational programs
74 Documenting of child assessments or evaluations for delivery of educational program
75 Information about the educational program to be kept available
76 Information about educational program to be given to parents
80 Weekly menu
82 Tobacco, drug and alcohol -free environment
86 Notification to parents of incident, injury, trauma and illness
99 Children leaving the education and care service premises
102 Authorisation for excursions
103 Premises, furniture and equipment to be safe, clean and in good repair
104 Fencing and security
105 Furniture, materials and equipment
106 Laundry and hygiene facilities
107 Space requirements—indoor
108 Space requirements—outdoor space
109 Toilet and hygiene facilities
110 Ventilation and natural light
112 Nappy change facilities
113 Outdoor space—natural environment
114 Outdoor space—shade
115 Premises designed to facilitate supervision
116 Assessments of family day care residences and approved family day care venues
117 Glass (additional requirement for family day care)
156 Relationships in groups
168 Education and care service must have policies and procedures
171 Policies and procedures to be kept available
73 Educational programs

Purpose

Enhance Family Day Care will ensure the FDC environment is safe, clean, and well maintained for children, families, educators, and visitors. Children’s awareness of the environment and sustainable practice will be supported through daily routines, resources, and interactions. The physical environment will support children’s participation and engagement, development, learning, and safety, and will provide supervised access to positive experiences and inclusive relationships.

Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children Services team, Educators, children, families, and visitors of Enhance FDC services.

IMPLEMENTATION

Enhance Family Day Care and its Educators are committed to providing an environment that promotes safety and enhances children’s learning and development by:

Determining service delivery area

As part of the onboarding home assessment visit, Practice Mentors will evaluate the proposed service delivery area to ensure that:

There is adequate indoor and outdoor space for children to play, learn and rest
The proposed service delivery spaces are appropriate for purpose
Areas of potential harm or hazard (such as sheds, garages, driveways) are inaccessible to children
There are adequate barriers and security measures in place to prevent children from leaving the property and unauthorised people from entering the property without supervision
The building meets building code requirements
Furniture is appropriate and safe for use in the service delivery area
The environment is respectful to the needs and sense of belonging of children. Children should have access to areas of the residence that makes them feel that they belong to the environment. For example, living areas should be used over garages/ bathrooms used over laundries or outside facilities where possible.

As part of the service delivery area, Practice Mentors will review areas that are used for the purpose of providing care, but may not be used by children directly, such as bathrooms, kitchens and laundries.

Designing Play Spaces and choosing appropriate resources and equipment

Educators will be supplied with and will comply with the Enhance FDC Safe Play Spaces guidelines for all aspects of designing and managing safe and exciting play areas, resources, and equipment for children
Appropriately sized furniture, equipment and resources will be provided in both the indoor and outdoor environment for the age ranges represented at the service
Resources will be adequate in number for the number of children attending the service and be developmentally appropriate
The Educator will be responsible for all purchases, including equipment and consumables for the daily running of the service
Educators will ensure equipment that is broken or unsafe is removed from the environment
Educators will actively seek the input of parents/guardians regarding current interests of their children to ensure appropriate resources and equipment are available
Resources and equipment will be chosen to reflect the cultural diversity of the local community and the cultural diversity of contemporary Australia, including the incorporation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community
Children will be provided with resources and equipment that encourages appropriate challenges and risk taking in accordance with their individual developmental level
The environment will be organised to ensure safety and minimal disruption for children whilst playing
Enhance FDC and Educators will work in partnership to ensure that specific equipment requirements of children with additional needs will be catered for to ensure an inclusive environment
Climbing equipment will be set up in a safe way and compliant with Australian Safety Standards. Please refer to Enhance’s Safe Play Spaces guidelines for more information
Frequent risk assessments of the indoor and outdoor environment will be conducted to minimise risk of harm and hazards
An environment will be provided that allows different types of play to occur both in the indoor and outdoor areas (e.g., quiet play areas and loud play areas) as well as participate in activities independently or in small groups, and access resources autonomously
A natural environment for children to explore and experience will be provided which may include plants, trees, gardens, rock, mud and/or water
Educators will participate in on-going professional development to enhance children’s learning and ensuring a safe and educational environment
Educators will comply with our Sun Safe Policy and procedures, providing adequate shade for children in accordance with the recommendations of Cancer Council Australia
An environment that ensures children are appropriately supervised will be provided
All required fencing will be maintained in good condition and compliant with current regulations. Please refer to Enhance FDC’s Safe Play Spaces guidelines for more information
A variety of indoor and outdoor experiences will be provided, catering for children’s interests and abilities
The environment will incorporate commercial, natural, recycled, homemade and real resources that can be used in a variety of ways to encourage children’s learning and creativity
Sufficient and accessible handwashing, toileting, eating and sleeping facilities will be available
Adequate and appropriate hygienic facilities for nappy changing are provided, which are soundly constructed ensuring children’s safety.
Natural and artificial lighting, appropriate ventilation, heating, cooling and fresh air will be incorporated into the building
Appropriate areas for food preparation are available
Power points not in use have safety caps, all double adaptors and power-boards are out of reach of children, and all electrical cords are secured and not dangling
Educators discuss the safety characteristics of using toys and equipment with childre
Families have access to the latest safety information on items such as cots, highchairs, car seats, etc.
All equipment, including resources, equipment, car seats, booster seats, etc. meet relevant Australian Standards and educators are trained in correct maintenance and assembly. Information provided with all equipment is kept for future reference

Cleaning of buildings, premises, furniture and equipment

General Cleaning

Educators will use structured cleaning schedules to ensure that all cleaning is carried out regularly and thoroughly
Educators will clean the service at the end of each day and throughout the day as needed
Accidents and spills will be cleaned up as quickly as possible to ensure that the service always maintains a high level of cleanliness and hygiene

Minimising potentially dangerous substances

Educators minimise the use of potentially dangerous substances. Ordinary detergents will be used to help remove dirt from surfaces. Colour-coded sponges (e.g., pink for the kitchen, yellow for the bathroom) will be used in order to eliminate cross contamination. Different rubber gloves will also be used in each room then hung out to air-dry. Before returning to the children educators will wash and dry hands.

When purchasing, storing and/or using any dangerous chemicals, substances, medicines or equipment, Educators will refer to and comply with Enhance FDC’s Safe Play Space Guidelines.

Disinfectants

Disinfectants are usually unnecessary as very few germs can survive exposure to fresh air and natural light. In an outbreak situation, such as gastroenteritis or other infectious virus (COVID-19) the Public Health Unit or SafeWork Australia, may specify the use of a particular disinfectant and increased frequency of cleaning. In this situation, for the disinfectant to work effectively, there still needs to be thorough cleaning using a detergent beforehand.

Essentially, there is no ideal disinfectant. Disinfectants cannot kill germs if the surface is not clean. It is more important to ensure that surfaces have been cleaned with detergent and warm water than to use a disinfectant.

In the event of an outbreak of gastroenteritis, a disinfectant such as bleach solution may be used following the manufacturer’s directions- e.g.: White King Bleach (sodium hypochlorite 42g/L) diluted part bleach (25mL) in 40 parts water (1L) to make 0.1% solution Gloves must be worn at all times when handling and preparing bleach.

To kill germs, any disinfectant needs:

A clean surface to be able to penetrate the germ
be an agent that acts against those particular germs
To be of the right concentrate
Enough time to kill the germs, which is generally at least 10 minutes

Detergents

To work in accordance with Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services, proper cleaning with detergent and warm water, followed by rinsing and air-drying kills most germs from surfaces as they are unable to multiply in a clean environment. Cleaning equipment should be stored and taken care of so it can dry between uses and not allow germs to multiply.

Safety Checks

A daily inspection of the premises will be undertaken before children begin to arrive. This inspection will include checks of residence perimeters, fences/fence line, gates, paths, out buildings such as sheds, all rooms accessible by children, fixed equipment, and sand pit (if applicable).

Educators will be provided with a daily safety checklist to ensure for use prior to the service opening each day so that risks can be identified and mitigated. A record of these will be kept by the Educator and must be available when requested by families or the Approved Provider. The Educator will make the appropriate arrangements to have repairs carried out as soon as possible where fixed equipment or buildings pose a risk
Educators will also be given a copy of Enhance FDC’s Safe Play Spaces guidelines for requirements around setting up and maintaining play spaces that are safe and suitable for children
The FDC Service will have regular pest inspections carried out by an accredited pest control company, at least annually. Documentation of these inspections will be kept and any further recommended treatments as a result of the findings from the pest control check will be carried out in a timely manner

Ongoing Maintenance

Educators and Practice Mentors will continuously reflect, and risk assess the service environment and put in place a plan to ensure that the environment reflects our ideology of providing an environment that is safe, stimulating and engaging for all who interact with it. As part of running a small business, Educators are required to plan for and budget ongoing improvements to their educational environment.

Service closure

Educators must ensure that children are correctly signed out of care and leave the premises in a safe manner. A child must leave in the presence of an authorised person and the Educator must ensure that both the child and family member/s leave the environment safely
Individuals visiting our Family Day Care Service must also sign in when they arrive at the Service and sign out when they leave
Details of absences during the day must also be recorded

Excursions

Ensuring safe play spaces for children extends beyond the FDC residence when Educators are planning excursions. Educators should risk assess and reflect on the intention of the excursion, including risk benefits before seeking approval from the Children Services team.

Educators will need to visit to the destination to ensure that risks can be managed to keep children free from harm while out of the service.

Please read the Excursion policy and safe transportation policy for more information.

Variations

FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this Policy.

Links to associated documents

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Cancer Council NSW: https://www.cancercouncil.com.au
Cancer Council Australia: https://www.cancer.org.au
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Standard (2020)
Kidsafe Family Day Care Safety Guidelines: https://kidsafe.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FINAL-FDC-Safety-Guidelines_7thEd.pdf
Kidsafe Qld: https://kidsafeqld.com.au/safe-landings-how-to-choose-the-best-surface-material-for-your-playground/
Play Australia: https://www.playaustralia.org.au/
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services.
NSW Sample Sun Protection Policy: https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Final-Activated-PDF-Workplace-sun-protection-policy-general-November-2013.pdf
Red nose Safe environment https://rednose.org.au/section/safe-environment
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
Swimming Pools Act 1992
Work Health and Safety Act 2011

Acknowledgements and references

Nil

Version	Approval date	Authorised by	Effective Date	Last reviewed	Next review date
1	13/09/2021	General Manager, Children Services	25/10/2021	08/2021	25/10/2022

Toileting and Nappy Changing Policy

TOILETING AND NAPPY CHANGING POLICY

Purpose
To ensure toileting and nappy changing is undertaken in a safe and respectful way while maintaining a high standard of hygiene.

Policy
The Family Day Care Association of Qld Inc. (FDCAQ) recognises toileting and nappy changing as a time of learning and increased independence and aims to ensure high standards of health, safety and well-being practices are maintained.

Procedure
Educators are encouraged and supported to provide an environment where toileting and nappy changing is a relaxed and positive experience and allows the opportunity for learning and increased independence.

Information provided by families at the time of enrolment will be taken into consideration to provide comfortable access to toileting.

If children are transitioning through toilet training, Educators will discuss the child’s needs, level of supervision required and language used with parents to ensure consistency with practices at home are supported as much as possible. Educators will communicate regularly with families on the child’s progress and review any routines or behaviours.

The role of the Educator is to:

Support children’s toilet learning and growing independence;
Meet children’s individual toileting and nappy changing needs, including self-help skills such as undressing and dressing;
Maintain hygiene and safety, including hand washing and use of gloves;
Appropriately supervise children when they are using the toilet;
Recognise when children no longer require adult assistance;
Ensure children’s privacy and dignity; and
Incorporate children’s home toileting and nappy changing language and/or practices where possible
Understanding that nappy changing is a time to:
- Have one to one interactions with children, and to give them your full attention;
- Interact with children using verbal and nonverbal communication, and respond to children’s communication;
- Engage in simple play activities with children such as singing, rhymes and finger plays;
- Build children’s understanding of what is happening now and promote their ability to predict what will happen next; and
- Help children begin to develop and extend their self-help skills, for example, hand washing and dressing.
Meeting the child’s needs quickly and in a caring responsive way that builds children’s sense of trust and security;
Respecting the child’s right to privacy and dignity;
Providing a pleasant sensory experience of being free of a nappy and the comfort of having a fresh, dry one; and
Incorporating the child’s home toileting language and practice where possible.

To ensure safety and cleanliness and to reduce the risk of cross-infection while toileting, Educators will:

Supervise the child, giving consideration to the child’s age and experience;
Encourage independence where appropriate (for example: undressing, wiping, flushing the toilet, hand washing);
Wear gloves when dealing with anybody excretions;
Where possible use a toilet ring rather than a potty as disposal of bodily fluids increases the risk of cross infection;
If using a potty, empty it after each use and clean with soapy water in a sink not used for washing hands;
Ask parents to supply several changes of clothing and/or spare underpants;
Ensure any soiled clothes are dealt with hygienically;
Minimise the risk of cross infection from soiled clothes in the care environment by storing them in a sealed container and sending them home with the child;
Encourage and supervise the washing and drying of the child’s hands, taking into account the child’s age and development;
Wash and dry own hands;
Ensure bathrooms (including surfaces, floors, toilets, taps, buttons and door handles) are cleaned regularly with an appropriate cleaning solution;
Talk with children about simple rules of hygiene and appropriate toileting and nappy changing practices; and
Support children through nappy changing and toileting sensitively.

To ensure consideration is given to protective behaviours when undertaking toileting and nappy changing.

Educators will:

Discuss expectations of toilet use and privacy with families;
Show respect to the child they are assisting by explaining what they are doing, how they will do it and for older children, gaining permission; and
Ensure other members of the Educator’s household do not assist a child with toileting and nappy changing unless they are an Educator Assistant.

To ensure safety and cleanliness and reduce the risk of cross-infection while nappy changing.

The Educator will:

Use a nappy changing surface or mat with an impervious washable surface (so it is easy to wipe over);
Wipe over the surface using detergent and water which assists in washing away germs. The bottle in which this solution is stored must be clearly labelled and stored out of the reach of children;
Use a clean piece of paper under the child’s bottom (to reduce the risk of contamination of the change mat);
Fully supervise and maintain physical closeness with, and attention to a child on any surface while changing nappies - If you need to turn away, keep one hand on baby. If you must leave, take baby with you;
Ensure all requirements needed during nappy changes, including disposable requirements (i.e. paper, wipes, gloves and nappies), are at hand and easily accessible; and
Wear disposable gloves during nappy changes (to protect both the educator and the child from the risk of cross-infection.

Relevant Documents
Child Protection Policy
Hygiene Policy
E003 - Environment Audit

References
GR001 - Education and Care Services National Law 2010
GR002 - Education and Care Services National Law (Qld) Act 2011
GR003 - Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
GR006 - The Guide for the National Quality Standards
GR022 - Staying Healthy - 5th Edition
Extract from Putting Children First, the magazine of the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) Issue
31 September 2009 Policy

CHNS.P11 Sun Safe Policy

SUN SAFE POLICY

Policy Number:	11
Policy Area:	CHNS
Policy Owner:	General Manager - Children Services
Responsible / Contact Officer:	Quality and Risk Officer
Effective Date:	April 2021
Review Date:	April 2022

Policy Information
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Too much of the sun’s UV radiation can cause sunburn, skin and eye damage and skin cancer. As infants and toddlers up to four years of age are particularly vulnerable to UV damage, Enhance Family Day Care commits to creating Sun Smart environments and implementing Sun Smart processes to keep children, educators and staff safe from UV exposure and damage.

National Quality Standard (NQS)
Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety: 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.2, 2.2.1
Quality Area 3: Physical Environment: 3.1.1

Education and Care Services National Law
167 Protection from harm and hazards

Education and Care Services National Regulations
100 Risk assessment must be conducted before excursions
113 Outdoor space natural environment
114 Outdoor space shade
168 Education and care service must have policies and procedures
168 (2)(a)(ii) Sun Protection

Purpose
To protect all children, educators and staff from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and to ensure adherence to Cancer Council’s Sun Smart recommendations for the safety of all people in the Family Day Care environment.

Scope
This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Children Services team, educators, educator assistants, children, families, and visitors.

Procedure
Implementation
Enhance Family Day Care will work in compliance with the National SunSmart Early Childhood Program to ensure children’s health and safety is maintained at all times whilst at the service. This policy applies to all activities at Enhance FDC services and whilst engaging in regular outings and excursions. It also applies to activities undertaken by the Children Services team.

Monitoring UV Levels
Sun protection is required when UV levels reach level 3 or above. Enhance FDC educators and staff will monitor the UV levels daily through one or more of the following methods:

Using the smartphone SunSmart app available at iTunes App Store and Google Play store
Using the SunSmart widget on the Service’s website available at www.cancer.org.au
Viewing the Bureau of Meteorology website http://www.bom.gov.au/
Visiting www.myuv.com.au

Due to high levels of UV in Queensland, the UV index is always above 3 regardless of the weather or season.

Outdoor Activities
The sun protection measures listed are used for all outdoor activities during the daily local sun protection times, when the UV Index is 3 or above. The sun protection times are a forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology for the time of day UV levels are forecast to reach 3 or higher. At these levels, a combination of sun protection will be used for all skin types.

Enhance FDC educators and staff will use a combination of sun protection measures (see below) whenever UV Index levels reach 3 and above. Care is taken during the peak UV radiation times and outdoor activities are scheduled outside of these times where possible.

Enhance Family Day Care educators and staff will follow the advice from Cancer Council Queensland and if recommended, modify outdoor play to under cover or shaded areas if UV levels reach 8 or above.

Shade

Sufficient natural, portable, or man-made shade will be provided, particularly in high use areas.
Shaded areas will be used for play experiences.
Play experiences will be monitored throughout the day and moved as required to remain in the shade.
Regular risk assessments and reviews will be made of the outdoor area to assist in planning for further shade requirements.
Children who do not have appropriate hats or outdoor clothing are required to choose a shady play space or a suitable area protected from the sun and not move to unshaded areas of the playground.

Hats
Enhance FDC educators, children, staff and visitors are always required to wear sun safe hats if they are outdoors. In line with Cancer Council Australia’s definition, a sun safe hat is a:

Hats that protect a person’s face, neck, and ears, which include:
- A legionnaire hat – the flap should cover the neck.
- A bucket hat with a deep crown and brim size of at least 5cm for children and at least 6cm for adults and must shade the face, neck, and ears.
- A broad brimmed hat with a brim size of at least 6cm for children or 7.5cm for adults. The brim should provide shade for the whole face.

Baseball caps and visors do not provide adequate protection from the sun and are therefore unable to be used.

Children without a sun safe hat will be asked to play in an area protected from the sun. They may be provided with a spare hat by the Enhance FDC educator if available.

Clothing

When outdoors, educators, staff and children will wear sun safe clothing that covers as much of the skin as possible. Cancer Council Australia recommends clothing that:
- Covers the shoulders, back and stomach
- Is loose fitting such as loose-fitting shirts and dresses with sleeves and collars or covered neckline, or longer style skirts, shorts and trousers
Children who are not wearing sun safe clothing can be provided with spare clothing or will be required to play under shade or in an area protected from the sun or provided with spare clothing.

Sunscreen
As per Cancer Council Australia recommendations:

Enhance educators, staff and children will apply SPF30 or higher broadspectrum water-resistant sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every 2 hours or more frequently if washed or wiped off.
Permission to apply sunscreen is included in the Enhance FDC Service enrolment form.
Where children have allergies or sensitivity to the sunscreen, parents are asked to provide an alternative sunscreen. A record of any allergy must be provided in writing from the parent/guardian and recorded on the child’s enrolment record.
To help develop self help and school readiness skills, children from three years of age are given opportunities to apply their own sunscreen under supervision of the educator and are encouraged to do so.
Sunscreen is stored in a cool, dry place and the use-by-date monitored.

Babies
In line with recommendations from the Cancer Council Australia:

Babies under 12 months will not be exposed to direct sun when the UV Index is 3 or above.
Physical protection such as shade, clothing and broad-brimmed hats are the best sun protection measures.

If babies are kept out of the sun or well protected from UV radiation by clothing, hats and shade, then sunscreen need only be used occasionally on very small areas of a baby’s skin. The widespread use of sunscreen on babies under 6 months old is not recommended.

Risks of Summer Play
Australia has a hot climate and inevitably playground equipment and surfacing can heat up rapidly and retain heat. Many playground surfaces and equipment can exceed temperatures greater than 50°C and if young children come into contact with these surfaces, they can be burned severely within seconds.

Enhance educators and the Children Services team will:

Ensure risk assessments are conducted to identify any potential hazards to children during summer months that could cause harm or injury to children. Risk minimisation control measures will be put in place to protect children. Potential hazards could include:
- Hot equipment- slides, poles, guardrails, any metal surfaces
- Hot surfaces- rubber and synthetic grass, walkways, concrete surfaces
- Sun burn
- Access to bodies of water (filled water troughs/containers/trays/pools)
Complete a Daily Sun Safe Checklist on any day that care occurs.
Use a thermometer or their hand to test surface temperature and make an informed decision about permitting children to play on equipment or in the outdoor space. If the surface temperature is determined to be too hot or is recorded as at or above 50°C, following recommendations from KidSafe Australia, children will NOT play on the surface.
In extreme heat and during peak summer temperatures, ensure children wear shoes when playing in the outdoor area [children may remove shoes when playing in sand or mud pit].

Role modelling and work health and safety
Cancer Council Australia acknowledges that children are more likely to develop sun-safe habits if they are role-modelled and demonstrated by adults around them. Occupational UV exposure is also a WH&S issue. All educators and Children Services team members will therefore be required to role model appropriate sun protection behaviours. These include:

Wearing a sun safe hat (see Hats)
Wearing sun safe clothing (see Clothing)
Applying SPF30+ broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors
Using and promoting shade
Wearing sunglasses that meet the Australian Standard 1067:2003 (optional)
Families and visitors are encouraged to role model positive sun safe behaviour
Monitoring the UV Index and Daily Sun Protection times throughout the day

Enhance Family Day Care will ensure that:

The Sun Safe Policy is regularly monitored and reviewed for effectiveness and compliance with Cancer Council recommendations.
The Sun Safe Policy is submitted to the Cancer Council every three years to maintain SunSmart status.
Enhance Family Day Care services are registered with the National Sun Smart School Program and that resources are regularly shared with Educators, families and children.
All educators have their outside play spaces as well as their risk management plans regularly reviewed to ensure that the service is compliant with our Sun Safe policy.
All staff and educators undertake Sun Smart training every biannually.
All staff comply with sun protection behaviours (listed above).

Enhance Educators will ensure:

That families receive information about sun safety and are aware of our Sun Safe Policy during orientation. Educators will discuss with families suitable clothing and hats for their child while attending the service.
Their service complies with the Sun Safe policy and with the Cancer Council’s Slip, Slop, Slap, Slide, Shade campaign
The Daily Sun Safe Checklist is completed, and the day’s experiences and program are adjusted to ensure minimum exposure to extreme UV levels and hot surface temperatures.
Where the UV level is 8 or above, outdoor program experiences must be under shelters that create shade eg. shade sails, verandahs, movable umbrellas or marquees.
Risk Assessment and appropriate mitigation strategies are implemented at the service and on excursions to minimise exposure to harmful UV levels.
All children are dressed in Sun Safe clothing, have a hat and have applied sunscreen before going outside.
Sun Safety is regularly incorporated into learning programs and resources and information is shared with families to promote sun safety.

Families will ensure that:

They give permission for sunscreen to be applied to their child on the enrolment form.
Their child/ren attend care in sun smart clothing and with a sun safe hat each day of care.
They role model sun safe behaviours in our services. If coming into the outside play areas, we request that parents wear a sun safe hat and clothing.
Alternative sunscreen is provided for their child/ren if there is a sunscreen sensitivity identified on the enrolment form.

Induction and Training for Educators

New educators will undergo Generation Sun Smart online training as part of their induction on registration with Enhance FDC, and then as part of a biannual reinduction refresher.
Information and training on sun safety will be regularly shared with Educators.
Enhance FDC Practice Mentors will include sun safety as part of their ongoing support and mentoring for Educators during face-to-face visits and at other times.
The Sun Safe Policy will be made available to all educators, families, and visitors of Enhance FDC services to ensure a comprehensive understanding about keeping sun safe.

Information about Sun Safety will be included in our Family Handbook.

Variations
FDCAQ reserves the right to vary, replace or terminate this Policy.

Acknowledgements and References

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Bureau of meteorology. Home page (for UV Index):
http://www.bom.gov.au/uv/
Cancer Council. (2019). UV alert: https://www.cancer.org.au/preventingcancer/sun-protection/uv-alert/
Cancer Council. Home page: https://www.cancer.org.au/
Cancer Council. Preventing cancer: Sun protections:
https://www.cancer.org.au/preventing-cancer/sun-protection/
Children's Services Act 1996
Cancer Council Queensland. National Sun Smart Program:
https://cancerqld.org.au/cancer-prevention/programsresources/national-sunsmart-program/
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016).
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018).
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2018). (Amended 2020).
KidSafe NSW Playground Safety .(2020).
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).

Risk Management Policy

RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY

Purpose
To identify, minimise and remove any risk to children’s safety and well-being.

Policy
The Family Day Care Association of Qld Inc. (FDCAQ) undertakes to maintain a safe and friendly environment for children by identifying any potential risk to children’s safety and wellbeing and having processes in place to reduce and/or remove any risk of harm.

Procedure
Creating safe and friendly environments for children is a central focus of risk management plans. In addition to this a Risk Management plan provides an opportunity to explore what we can do. Risk management means being aware of potential hazards in a child’s environment and taking steps to remove or minimise them. These risks maybe of a physical or human nature. Educators and staff are required to undertake risk assessments for children’s environments and activities using the ’Risk Priority Calculator’ and ‘Risk Management Plan’ forms as follows:

When identifying a risk:

Determine the likelihood of an incident “how often is it likely to happen?”
Determine the consequences of any incident “what harm could it cause?”; and
Combine the potential likelihood and consequence estimate using the ‘Risk Priority Calculator’.

Factors to consider when determining the likelihood of an incident occurring includes:

How often the situation occurs;
The number of factors that contribute to the probability and degree of risk;
How many people are exposed to the risk;
The skills, knowledge, experience and age of the people exposed to the risk;
Any additional needs of the people exposed to the risk;
The duration and frequency of any exposure;
The position of any hazard in relation to the people affected and any other hazards in the environment;
Any distractions;
The type and amount of equipment found in the environment;
Environmental conditions such as presence of water or temperature; and
The effectiveness of current safety practices and the cost of controlling risks.

When making a judgment about the severity of the potential consequences, factors to consider may include:

Any potential for an ongoing or chain reaction;
Concentration of any substances and the amount of materials involved;
The speed of any moving parts; and
The height and weight of any risk and the positions of people in relation to any risk.

When the level of risk is determined by comparing the relationship between the likelihood and the consequence using the ‘Risk Priority Calculator’, the risk will be allocated a priority number from 1 to 6 and determined as follows:

1 or 2 the hazard is to be addressed immediately
3 or 4 the hazard is to be addressed as soon as possible; and
5 or 6 the hazard may not need immediate attention and is regularly monitored.

Educators and staff are then required to complete a ‘Risk Management Plan’ form and forward it to a Service co-ordinator.

Relevant Documents
Excursion Policy
Education and Care Environment Policy
E001 - Risk Management Plan
E003 - Care Environment Audit
T004 - Regular Excursion (outing) Form
T005 - Excursion Permission Form (Individual)
ER007 - Risk Priority Calculator
E012 – Excursion Risk Management Plan

References
Managing Occupational Health and Safety in Children’s Services, Lady Gowrie, Sue Tarrant.
Child Protection Risk Management Strategy Handbook, Commission for Children, Young People and Child
Guardian, Queensland Government
GR001 - Education and Care Services National Law 2010
GR002 - Education and Care Services National Law (Qld) Act 2011
GR003 -Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011

Incident Injury Trauma Illness Policy

INCIDENT INJURY TRAUMA AND ILLNESS POLICY

Purpose
To care for children’s health and wellbeing by responding appropriately to any incident, injury, trauma or illness.

Policy
The Family Day Care Association of Qld Inc (FDCAQ) aims to maintain and support children’s health and well-being by responding to any incident, injury, trauma or illness in an appropriate, respectful and effective manner using processes recommended by health professionals and emergency services.

Procedure
During enrolment of a child into a service, parents are required to read and sign a mandatory authorisation for staff and Educators to provide emergency medical treatment and services for their child if required.

Educators, Educator assistants and Relief Educators are required to maintain a current Senior First Aid Certificate and Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation Certificate, and current approved anaphylaxis training and emergency asthma training. Educators are to be aware of all organisational policies and procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency. Educators will maintain and keep accessible all contact details for first aid information and emergency services.

If a child is ill or sustains any injury Educators, Educators Assistant and Relief Educators will:

Attend to the child with an appropriate first aid response in a safe and timely manner considering all children in the service;
Notify (or attempt to notify) parents and/or other persons nominated as emergency contacts;
Notify the nominated staff of services;
Complete an ‘Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Report Form’ and a Notification of Serious Incident Form SI01,if the child requires medical attention or ought to have sought medical attention outlining:
- The nature of the accident, illness, trauma or injury;
- Any medication or medical treatment administered to a child;
- Any other relevant matter concerning the child’s health; and
- Refer to flow chart for reporting of the Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness and the SI01
- Service will retain a copy of Liability Claim Form and other relevant documents until the child is 25 year old.
- Educators will complete an ‘Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Report Form’ where any minor incident has occurred.
- Refer to ‘Death of a Child in Care Policy’ in the event a child dies in care.
- Any incident where the attendance of emergency services at the education and care services or other venues was sought, or ought reasonably to have been sought and forward to services staff immediately.
- Under the current funding agreement all services are required to immediately report to DEEWR any circumstances in which a child, worker or any other person suffers an injury or as a result of the activity for which treatment from a Doctor or other medical practitioner was sought or ought reasonable have been sought, or an incident that draws the attention of the police, or where the child, worker or any other person dies during or as a result of the activity.

Relevant Documents
Educator Engagement Policy
General Health and First Aid Policy Death of a Child in Care Policy
F001 - Enrolment Form
H002 - Record of Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness
H003 - Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Report Form
H004 - Medication Form
H001 - Child Health Management Plan
FRM MAN 5 - Liability Claim Form (Scheme Insurance Company Form)
Serious Incident SI01

References
GR002 - Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
GR003 - Education and Care Services Regulations 2011
GR006 - The Guide to the National Quality Standards
Flow Chart for reporting Incidents

Hygiene Policy

HYGIENE POLICY

Purpose
To provide and maintain a hygienic environment for children’s well-being and to encourage and enhance children’s learning of hygienic practices.

Policy
The Family Day Care Association of Qld Inc. (FDCAQ) aims to minimise any risk to children’s health by ensuring the environment that Educators provide to children maintains a high standard of hygiene and personal hygiene methods are learnt and practiced.

Procedure
To ensure cleanliness and reduce the risk of cross-infection in the child care environment, the following must occur:

Surfaces must be regularly wiped down and cleaned with an appropriate cleaning solution;
All kitchen equipment and utensils must be washed in hot water with appropriate cleaning solution, rinsed and stored when dry. Bottles and teats must be cleaned with appropriate cleaning tools and solutions and sterilised if required;
Disposable gloves must be used when in contact with bodily fluids like blood, vomit, urine and faeces;
Where possible, disposable cloths are to be used to clean up bodily fluids;
All floors must be clear and cleaned regularly with appropriate cleaning solutions;
Any rubbish and food scraps must be removed as soon as practical and disposed of appropriately; and
Outdoor areas and grounds are to be clear and free of vermin.

Effective hand washing is recognised as the best way to maintain hygiene standards and minimise the risk of spreading illnesses and infection. Guidelines for hand washing include:

Using soap and running water to wash hands;
Washing all surfaces of the hands and rinsing under running water;
Drying the hands using paper towels or individual hand towels;
Using Wipes and/or hand cleaning lotions to clean hands when running water is not available (for example: car or park);
Educators are to encourage, teach and support children to wash their hands effectively and to allow time in daily routines for supervised hand washing;
Educators are to wash the hands of babies and toddlers;
Educators and children are to wash their hands
- before handling or eating food,
- after touching pets,
- after outdoor play,
- after nappy changing or going to the toilet, and
- after wiping noses.

Relevant Documents
Bathing Policy
Food Handling Policy
Toileting and Nappy Changing Policy
C003 - Care Environment Audit
HR011 – How to Wash Hands Poster – Staying Healthy – 5th Edition

General Health and First Aid Policy

CHILDREN'S GENERAL HEALTH & ADMINISTRATION OF FIRST AID POLICY

Purpose
To maintain the general health and well-being of children.

Policy
The Family Day Care Association of Qld Inc (FDCAQ) aims to maintain the general health and well-being of children by communicating with families, monitoring children’s health while in care and ensuring Educators and staff are qualified in appropriate first aid responses.

Procedure
Family Responsibilities:

Advise staff and Educators on the enrolment form of any health issues for a child including food intolerances, allergies and regular medications;
Understand that any payment for medical attention required by a child while in care is their responsibility;
Complete a Children’s Medical Health plan for a child for the management of medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes or anaphylaxis. (but not limited to), in conjunction with a health care practitioner for children with identified continuing health issues;
Ensure Children’s Medical Health plans are reviewed with a relevant health practitioner by the date recorded on the Medical Management Plan and the Educator is updated immediately with any changes;
Advise the Educator if a child has been unwell before arriving at care (such as, the day or night before) and advise the Educator of symptoms and any treatment given;
Keep children away from care if unwell and or presenting any symptoms of illnesses that maybe contagious (see Exclusions for Infectious Diseases Policy)
Complete a ‘Temporary Placement Form’ to outline a child’s requirements as above If a child is temporarily attending another Educator’s service; and
Communicate regularly about the child’s health with the Educator and Coordination Unit staff using a variety of methods (such as verbal face to face, phone, emails, notes or letters) to inform the Educator of any infectious disease their child may be suffering from.

To promote and monitor children’s general health and well-being, Educators will:

Develop a communications plan in consultation with parents.
Develop a minimisation plan to ensure that risks to child’s health care needs, allergies or relevant medical conditions are assessed and minimised.
If a child who has been diagnosed with anaphylaxis attends an education and care service, parents of other children in care are required to be notified allergen that posts a risk to the child.
‘If applicable notify families in accordance with the service policy of an occurrence of an infectious disease at the education and care service.
Advise families that it is the responsibility of parents to inform the Educator of any infectious disease their child may be suffering from. If there is any doubt as to whether the illness is infectious, a medical diagnosis must be sought and/or a medical clearance given to the Educator for the child to return to care;
Pay close attention to any signs of illness or change in a child’s well-being and take all appropriate action as needed;
Consider the needs of each child in relation to age, the need for privacy, medical history and/or religious and cultural requirements;
Ensure at all times that the best interests of children’s health and well being are paramount
Provide close supervision of children, using visual, verbal and listening skills to ensure children are safe;
Maintain high standards of hygiene to minimise cross-infections.
Notify parents of any changes to the child/ren’s health condition

All Educators are required to meet the requirements for, and maintain a current Apply First Aid Certificate and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation Certificate, approved anaphylaxis management training, and current approved emergency asthma management training and must be able to independently:

Activate an emergency plan;
Apply first aid or resuscitation; and
Contact a child’s doctor or nearest doctor or ambulance and parent.

Relevant Documents
Sun Safety Policy
Exclusion for Infectious Diseases Policy
Immunisation Policy
Hygiene Policy
Administering Medication Policy
F001 - Enrolment Form
F002 - Enrolment Agreement Form
F009 - Temporary Placement Form
H001 - Child Health Management Plan
H004 - Medication Form
TT00 - Travel Emergency Contact List Template

References
GR022 - Staying Healthy - 5th Edition
Anaphylaxis Australia
GR001 – Education and Care Services National Law 2010
GR002 - Education and Care Services National Law (Qld) Act 2011
GR003 - Education and Care Services Regulations 2011
GR006 - The Guide for the National Quality Standards

Exclusions for Infectious Diseases Policy

EXCLUSIONS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES POLICY

Purpose
To minimise the spread of infectious diseases between children, educators, visitors and staff.

Policy
The Family Day Care Association of Qld Inc (FDCAQ) supports children’s health and wellbeing and aims to minimise the spread of any infectious diseases between children and adults by adhering to National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) requirements and other legislative guidelines.

Procedure
Excluding sick children and staff is one of the most important ways of limiting the spread of infection in education and care. The spread of certain infectious diseases can be reduced by excluding a person who is known to be infectious, from contact with others who are at risk of catching the infection.

Educators will follow all policies and procedures in relation to hygiene management to minimise the spread of infectious disease.
Educators will contact the families of children in care who show signs of any infectious disease as detailed in the table below to request they be collected immediately and referred for medical advice if necessary.
Educators or other persons residing in the educator’s home showing signs of infectious disease must contact Coordination Unit staff as soon as possible so that alternate care arrangements can be made for children if requested by the parent.
People with an infectious disease detailed in the table below will be excluded from an education and care environment to prevent others from being exposed to infection.
The need for exclusion depends upon:
- the ease with which the infection can be spread;
- the ability of the infected person to follow hygiene precautions; and
- the severity of the disease.
The exclusion procedure:
- Identify when symptoms or a medical diagnosis fit a condition with an exclusion period;
- Refer to the table below for the recommended minimum periods of exclusion;
- Advise the parents when they may return to the Service;
When a confirmed outbreak of a notifiable infectious disease has occurred, service staff will contact Queensland Health to notify of the situation and to request any advice or guidance required.
In regards to a child, an educator or member of the educator’s home suffering from an infectious disease, service staff may request a medical practitioner’s certificate for clearance before resuming the Education and Care program continues.

NHMRC Recommended minimum exclusion periods for infectious conditions for schools, pre-schools and education and care services.

Recommended exclusion periods are based on the time that a person with a specific disease or condition is likely to be infectious.

The following are recommended minimum periods of exclusion based on risk of infection but a child or staff member may need to stay at home longer than the exclusion period to recover from an illness.

Recommended ‘Not excluded’ means there is no significant risk of transmitting infection to others.

Relevant Documents
Children’s General Health and Administration of First Aid Policy
Hygiene Policy
Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy
F001 - Enrolment Record
H002 – Record of Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness

References
GR001 – Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
GR002 - Education and Care Services National Law (Qld) Act 2011
GR003 - Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
GR006 - The Guide for the National Quality Standards
GR022 - Staying Healthy – 5th Edition

Condition	Exclusion of Case	Exclusion of Contacts
Campylobacter infection	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours^b	Not excluded
Candidiasis (thush)	Not excluded	Not excluded
Conjunctivitis	Exclude until discharge from the eyes has stopped, unless a doctor has diagnosed non-infectious conjunctivitis	Not excluded
Cryptosporidium	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours^b	Not excluded
Diarrhoea (no organism identified)	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours^b	Not excluded
Fungal infections of the skin or nails (e.g. ringworm, tinea)	Exclude until the day after starting appropriate antifungal treatment	Not excluded
Giadiasis	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours^b	Not excluded
Glandular fever (mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection)	Not excluded	Not excluded
Hand, foot and mouth disease	Exclude until all blisters have dried	Not excluded
Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib)	Exclude until the person has received appropriate antibiotic treatment for at least 4 days	Not excluded Contact a public health unit for specialist advice
Head lice (pediculosis)	Not excluded if effective treatment begins before the next day at the education and care service	Not excluded
Hepatitis A	Exclude until a medical certificate of recovery is received and until at least 7 days after the onset of jaundice	Not excluded Contact a public health unit for specialist advice about vaccinating or treating children in the same room or group
Hepatitis B	Not excluded	Not excluded
Hepatitis C	Not excluded	Not excluded
Herpes simplex (cold sores fever blisters)	Not excluded if the person can maintain hygiene practices to minimise the risk of transmission If the person cannot comply with these practices (e.g. because they are too young), they should be excluded until the sores are dry Sores should be covered with a dressing, where possible	Not excluded
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)	Not excluded If the person is severely immune compromised, they will be vulnerable to the other people’s illnesses	Not excluded
Human parvovirus B19 (fifth disease, erythema infectiosum, slapped cheek syndrome)	Not excluded	Not excluded
Hydatid disease	Not excluded	Not excluded
Impetigo	Exclude until appropriate	Not excluded
Influenza and influenza-like illnesses	Exclude until person is well	Not excluded
Listeriosis	Not excluded	Not excluded
Measles	Exclude for 4 days after the onset of the rash	Immunised and immune contacts are not excluded For non-immunised contacts, contact a public health unit for specialist advice All immunocompromised children should be excluded until 14 days after the appearance of the rash in the last case
Meningitis (viral)	Exclude until person is well	Not excluded
Meningococcal infection	Exclude until appropriate antibiotic treatment has been completed	Not excluded Contact a public health unit for specialist advice about antibiotics and/or vaccination for people who were in the same room as the case
Molluscum contagiosum	Not excluded	Not excluded
Mumps	Exclude for 9 days or until swelling goes down (whichever is sooner)	Not excluded
Pertussis (whooping cough)	Exclude until 5 days after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment, or for 21 days from the onset of coughing	Contact a public health unit for specialist advice about excluding non-vaccinated contacts, or antibiotics
Pneumococcal disease	Exclude until person is well	Not excluded
Roseola	Not excluded	Not excluded
Ross River virus	Not excluded	Not excluded
Rotavirus infection	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours^b	Not excluded
Rubella (German measles)	Exclude until the person has fully recovered or for at least 4 days after the onset of the rash	Not excluded
Salmonellosis	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours^b	Not excluded
Scabies	Exclude until the day after starting appropriate treatment	Not excluded
Shigellosis	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours^b	Not excluded
Streptococcal sore throat (including scarlet fever)	Exclude until the person has received antibiotic treatment for at least 24 hours and feels well	Not excluded
Toxoplasmosis	Not excluded	Not excluded
Tuberculosis (TB)	Exclude until medical certificate is produced from the appropriate health authority	Not excluded Contact a public health specialist unit for advice about screening, antibiotics or specialist TB clinics
Varicella (chickenpox)	Exclude until all blisters have dried – this is usually at least 5 days after the rash first appeared in non-immunised children, and less in immunised children	Any child with an immune deficiency (for example, leukaemia) or receiving chemotherapy should be excluded for their own protection as they are at high risk of developing severe disease Otherwise, not excluded
Viral gastroenteritis (viral diarrhoea)	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours^b	Not excluded
Worms	Exclude if loose bowel motions are occurring Exclusion is not necessary if treatment has occurred	Not excluded

^a the definition of ‘contacts’ will vary according to the disease – refer to the specific fact sheet for more information.
^b If the cause is unknown, possible exclusion for 48 hours until the cause is identified. However, the educators and other staff who have a food handling role should always be excluded until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 48 hours. Adapted from SA Health Communicable Disease Control Branch http://www.dh.sa.gov.au/pehs/ygw/index.htm.

Note that the exclusion advice is consistent with the Communicable Diseases Network Australia Series of National Guidelines (SonGs), where available

Dental and Oral Health

DENTAL AND ORAL HEALTH POLICY

Purpose
To support and promote children’s dental and oral health.

Policy
The Family Day Care Association of Qld Inc. (FDCAQ) aims to support children’s dental and oral health by encouraging and promoting good dental and oral hygiene behaviour.

Procedure
Oral and dental health care includes encouraging hygienic behaviour in children and families, contributing to reducing the likelihood of dental cavities in children and preventing and reducing the likelihood of dental trauma in children. Considerations include:

Encouraging families to provide information relating to their child’s dental requirements during the enrolment process including contact details for any preferred dentist and expected practices in relation to cleaning teeth while in care;
Staff and Educators providing current information to children and families on good dental and oral health practices;
Educators providing any storage facilities for toothbrushes and other equipment as required and maintain these facilities in a clean and hygienic manner;
Avoiding the use of bottles containing fruit juice, cordial or soft drink, pacifiers dipped in sweet substances or sugary snacks or lollies as behavioural rewards;
Encouraging families to offer a variety of nutritious food such as vegetables, cheese, yoghurt and fruit and to offer water to drink in preference to carbonated drinks or fruit juices;
Encouraging children to eat a variety of nutritious foods; and
Reporting to families any sign of tooth cavities, discomfort or injury to teeth and gums in children.
Children will be given water after food, and encouraged to swish around mouth to clear food residue.

Relevant Documents
Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy Hygiene Policy
GR022 - Staying Healthy 5th Edition
HR017 - Oral Health for Infants and Toddlers
HR018 - Oral Heath for children 3-12 years
HR019 - Oral Hygiene for babies

References
HR019 - Oral Hygiene for babies - Raising Children’s Network
GR001 – Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
GR002 - Education and Care Services National Law (Qld) Act 2011
GR003 – Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
GR006 - The Guide for the National Quality Standards