Health Standards
Health Standards
Amazing Childcare provides a clean, healthy environment for your children and the staff and meets or exceeds the standards for operation by the State Health Department. In the infant room, crib sheets are changed daily or more frequently, if they become wet or soiled. Children in the toddler and preschool programs sleep on cots that are individually labeled. Each child is provided with a bottom sheet that is laundered every three days, or as needed. All crib mattresses and cots are sprayed with a sanitizing agent at the end of the week as well as when needed. Children’s hands are washed before and after meals, after bathroom use, after diaper changing times, and at other appropriate times.
Administration Of Medication
For staff to administer prescriptive medication to your child, we must have a complete Request for Administration of Medication Form, which is available in the amazing childcare office. After the medication has been administered, this form will become a part of your child’s permanent file. The department of Health and Human Services restricts us from administering medication except in the following manner: Medications shall be given to children only with signed parental permission, which includes the date, type, drug name, time, and dosage. It shall be in the original container, not have an expired date, and be labeled with the child’s name. Staff shall not dispense medications in dosages that exceed the recommendations stated on the medication bottle. Medication shall be stored in a locked area. A medication log will be kept in the amazing childcare office, where the person administering the medication will complete a medication-provided form indicating the above information. The completion of the form will be witnessed by another amazing childcare staff member.
Amazing childcare will only administer prescription medication that is prescribed three (3) or more times daily.
We support the NAEYC’s Children’s Rights of Medication Administration:
- Verify that the right child receives.
- The right medication.
- In the right dose.
- At the right time.
- By the right method with documentation of each right each time the medication is given.
Daily Communication
Daily communication between caregivers and parents is of the utmost importance for our staff to provide high-quality care. Daily communication for preschool age is expressed verbally at drop off/pick up and at any other time needed throughout the day. For the infant and toddler ages, daily communication will be through our Bright wheel app, which parents will initiate when they sign in the children in the app. If a parent for any reason is unable to sign in, they must notify the director, so the director will do that for you. Even though our application allows parents to see in real-time their child’s routine, the teachers can add the information until the end of the day or when they are available to do it. For Amazing Childcare, our priority is the care and supervision of our children.For this reason, teachers will have restricted access to their personal phones and will most likely not be able to respond to messages in real-time. However, if there is an urgent message or emergency, please call or send a direct message to the director.
The Emergency Medical/First Aid Consent Form submitted when your child is enrolled will assure prompt treatment for any serious injuries that may be sustained at the Childcare.
Exclusion Of Children Due To Illness
Upon arrival, please inform your child’s teacher of any unusual situations with your child so we may be alert for possible signs of illness. You will be notified if symptoms develop that require your child to be temporarily excluded from our care. We follow the exclusion criteria as required by the Arkansas Department of Human Services Minimum Licensing Requirements, as well as the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, as described in Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools (2005). Common childhood illnesses that result in children being excluded from group care are:
- Sudden behavior change.
- Fever of 101 degrees/oral or 100 degrees/axillary.
- Diarrhea, if frequency exceeds 2 or more stools or cannot be contained in the diaper.
- Vomiting illness (2 or more episodes in the previous 24 hours).
- Abdominal pain which lasts more than 2 hours.
- Mouth sores with drooling.
- Rash with fever or behavior changes.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Pediculosis (head lice), until after the first treatment.
- Active tuberculosis.
- Impetigo, until treatment has begun.
- Strep throat, until 24 hours after the antibiotic has been started.
- Chickenpox, until all lesions have crusted.
- Whooping cough, until 5 days of antibiotic treatment.
- Mumps, until 5 days after onset of gland swelling.
- Measles, until 4 days after onset of rash.
- Hepatitis A, until 1 week after onset of illness or as directed by the Health Department.
- Hand, Foot, and Mouth, until sores have scabbed with no fever or directed by doctor’s note Children should be free of fever without the benefit of medication for 24 hours before returning.
Immunizations
Accurate current immunization of all children is a requirement of the minimum standards of the Department of Human Services. Each infant, toddler, and pre-school child admitted to the program must always have an updated immunization record on file in the amazing childcare office. This record must be submitted to the childcare office upon enrollment and must be updated by the parent about immunizations, allergies, and other pertinent medical information. If a child becomes “behind” in his/her immunizations, the child may be excluded from care until their immunizations become up-to-date. The responsibility of keeping immunizations current rests with each parent. The office periodically issues reminders when immunizations are past due, as a courtesy. Amazing Childcare does not accept requests to waive immunization
requirements. All children who are accepted into the amazing childcare must be immunized following the Department of Human Services’ schedule of immunizations.
DHS child abuse and maltreatment policy
All children must be able to be interviewed by a Child Care Licensing Specialist,a CCFS Special Investigator, and or a law enforcer at any point of time for investigating purposes in order to determine compliance with all licensing requirements. Every employee of CCA is mandated to report any suspected form of child abuse and neglect and shall call the Child Maltreatment Hotline (1-800-482-5964) with such information.
Daily Operations
Amazing childcare will follow each infant and young toddler’s home routine as long as it is consistent and does not change every day. This adaptation process will take at least 8 weeks, in which parents and staff must work together to integrate the child into the childcare daily routine. Parents are invited to visit at any time. Extended families are also welcome. We ask that you keep in mind, however, that nap time and lunchtime are very busy times, and your presence may disrupt your child’s routine.
In Case Of Injury
The staff will care for minor injuries, and you will be notified in writing at the time your child leaves the childcare indicating the time and place of the accident/incident occurrence, any witnesses, and the way the accident/incident was managed. In the event of serious injury, you will be notified at once, and if necessary, emergency medical services will be contacted. Parents may be responsible for expenses incurred by providing emergency care for their children.
The Emergency Medical/First Aid Consent Form submitted when your child is enrolled will assure prompt treatment for any serious injuries that may be sustained at the Childcare.
Items from home
Please do not allow your child to bring toys, coins, guns, knives, sharp pointed objects, or potentially dangerous items to the childcare. Sentimental/ expensive items should not be sent. Amazing Childcare is not responsible for the loss.
Backpacks and diaper bags are not allowed to be kept at the childcare. Backpacks and diaper bags may contain items that are not appropriate or safe to have in our classrooms, such as items that are choking hazards, medications, or ointments and creams labeled “keep out of reach of children.” “Due to the DHS regulation regarding strangulation and choking hazards”, Amazing Childcare does not allow children to wear items that may pose strangulation and/or choking hazard. These items may include but are not limited to, necklaces (including Amber) and any type of pacifier clip. Please make sure all such items are removed before leaving your child in the care of amazing childcare. Bibs, shirts with neckties, and/or hoods will be removed before rest time.
Meals
Nutritious snacks are provided at 8:30 a.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. Children arriving after 8 am must have eaten breakfast at home.
Due to the severity and commonality of peanut allergies in children, amazing childcare has chosen to adopt a no-peanut policy.
Please do not allow your child to enter the childcare with food, drink, candy, or gum. Many children are generous and want to share what they have brought from home. Because of the hectic nature of morning arrival times, we are unable to provide the necessary level of supervision needed for a child who is still eating their breakfast from home.
Divorced Parents/Custody Issues
We recognize that many of our families have experienced marital separation or divorce. We strive to assist each child in adjusting and accommodating the changes in his/her home life. We respectfully ask that divorced or separated parents not involve the teachers or amazing childcare staff in situations or conflicts between parents. Once court documents determine custody issues, we will follow the court’s decisions. We ask that parents, please provide a copy of the custody arrangement for their child’s file. The Director maintains the confidentiality of the documents, and they are used only to provide documented support for parent custody issues by amazing childcare policy, as related to parent pick-up rights and privileges, etc. For separated parents who do not have court documents, we cannot deny either parent full custodial privileges. We will make available any paperwork that may be requested for a court issue with a subpoena. While we will work with each family who is experiencing a change in their home life, we recognize that there may be circumstances where the withdrawal of the family from our program may be necessary if the conflict cannot be kept from the classroom or amazing childcare.
Policy For Nursing Mothers
Nursing mothers are welcome, and we will make every effort to make both mother and child comfortable.
