HEALTH and SAFETY EDUCATION

We hope you will reinforce our health and safety education program at home.  We’ll be having monthly fire drills.  In the Fall a fireperson visits to tell its how to prevent fires and what to do if one occurs. We’ll learn about the importance of cleanliness and handwashing in preventing the spread of germs.  A dentist will visit to show us how and why we brush our teeth. Our School rules that limit behaviors that could hurt ourselves or others are a continuing topic of discussion. Even if your rules at home are different, please support what is expected at School.

IMMUNIZATIONS

Our licenses require that children have current immunizations according to the American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines and that we have updated verification on state forms.  Be sure to take a Health Form when visiting the doctor for check ups and return it to us.   Health Forms are available on this site under School Forms, or in the office. Kindergarten aged children are required to have a TB test between the January and August preceding enrollment in first grade.

MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION

A. General

• The School will administer prescription medication, ordered or approved by your child’s physician, to your child, if necessary, only with your written approval on the Classroom Medication Log
• The School will administer non-prescription medication only when provided by you and with your written approval on the Classroom Medication Log.
• Because having medication in the facility is a safety hazard and administration of medication poses an extra burden on Staff,
• We must ask that you limit your request to medication dosages that cannot be given by you at the ends of your child’s day at School, or during other hours at home. This would include vitamins or antibiotics that are administered twice daily.
• The first dose of medication should be given at home to see if your child has any type of reaction.
• As always, you are welcome at School. Some parents might prefer to visit to administer medication during the school day.

B. How, What, etc.

• Blank Medication Logs are kept in the hanging folders near each classroom’s telephone:
• Complete a Medication Log, when you require that we administer medication at School.
• Hand the completed Log and the medication to the Teacher. For safety, it is important that medication not be left on counters or in lunch boxes.
• Teachers will administer the medication and complete the time/dosage data on the Log.

C. PA state regulations also require that:

• We administer only medications that are provided by you and labeled with your child’s first and last names;
• Aall medications be in their original containers with directions and labels attached;
• All prescription medicines be in your child’s name and not that of another family member;
• We are not permitted to cut pills;
• Please be sure to keep abreast of the expiration dates of any medication you leave for your child, especially if it is a medication that you leave here for long periods of time (e.g. Epipens, Tylenol, etc.). We cannot administer medications that have expired dates.
• A physician may order that a certain medication may be given for a recurring problem, emergency situation, or chronic condition. Please be sure to obtain your Doctor’s prescription. The parent must fill out a Medication log and provide the prescription. Examples include:

o Asthma medicine before vigorous active play; or

o Epinephrine for a serious allergic reaction to a specific substance.

WHEN CHILDREN ARE ILL

When young children are in group programs, illness is a fact of life. This happens at whatever point they begin school. Young children get sick more frequently than adults, because their immune systems cannot fight disease as well. The good news is that exposure seems to improve their immunity, so that, when they are a little older, they seem to get sick less frequently.

Children are excluded from School if:

o the illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities that the School routinely offers for well children.

o the illness requires more care than the Staff are able to provide without compromising the needs of the other children in the group.

o keeping the child in care poses an increased risk to the child or to other children or adults with whom the child will come in contact.

Some common reasons for exclusion:

o Fever, as defined by the child’s age as follows;

§ Until medical evaluation indicates inclusion. Infants younger than 4 months of age: rectal temperature > 101° F. (100° F. axillary)

§ Children 4 to 24 months: rectal temperature > 102° F. (101° F. axillary)

§ Children older than 24 months: oral or axillary temperature > 102° F.

§ Parents will be notified of any fever > 100° axillary. (The child can return to School after free from fever for 24 hours, or with their pediatricians note indicating they may return to School).

o Signs of possible severe illness, including unusual lethargy, irritability, persistent crying, difficult breathing.

o Uncontrolled diarrhea, defined as an increased number of stools compared with the child’s normal pattern with increased stool water and/or decreased form that is not contained by the diaper or toilet use.

o Unexplained rashes that could be contagious.

If we see the beginnings of symptoms we’ll let you know by phone, that your child seems to not be feeling well and that we may have to call you later.

• If a Director is uncertain about whether a child’s illness poses an increased risk to others, the child will be excluded until a physician or nurse practitioner notifies the School that the child may attend. When a question arises, the School will rely on the judgment of the child’s pediatrician.
• If a Director determines that a child is too ill to stay in School based upon the above criteria, you will be called immediately and the child will be provided a place to rest (usually in the Office) until the parent or designated person arrives.
• The child must be picked-up by an approved escort within one (1) hour of our call to you. The School does not have the resources to allow ill children to remain in the facility. Please be sure to have someone available in case this situation occurs.
• We will provide information to families verbally and in writing about any unusual level or type of communicable disease to which their child was exposed, signs and symptoms of the disease, mode of transmission, period of communicability, and control measures that are being implemented at the School and that families should implement at home.
• Many exclusions require that the child be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to School.

We know that these policies can be difficult for parents, who need to work, and we commit to not being more restrictive than we need to be to keep everyone healthy.

IF YOUR CHILD IS INJURED AT SCHOOL

The School is always operated in a manner that minimizes accidents and injuries to children and others.

However, as you’ve most likely experienced at home, as children play and experience their world, accidents can occur. Most injuries at School are of a minor nature requiring TLC and reassurance. However, we must be prepared for the possibility that something more serious could occur.

It is of utmost importance that we be able to reach you, especially in an emergency. Please be sure that we have at least one (1) phone number that will always be answered by a person rather than a machine, when your child is at School.

In the event that you might be out of town, be sure that someone has your Power of Attorney to authorize emergency medical treatment, if required.

The following are our procedures for emergencies, accidents & minor incidents involving a child being injured at School.

· Should an accident, injury or medical condition occur, Staff will act immediately to administer First-aid as required.

· A Director will be notified, as soon as practical, and given the nature of the incident.

· The situation will be assessed. In all but the most minor incidents we will call to apprise you.

· Possible scenarios include:

o No further action is required. We’ll discuss the incident further with you at pick-up time.

o We seek the advice of your Pediatrician.

o We ask you to come to School to advise us.

o We determine that your child needs to be medically examined.

§ We request that you come to School to transport your child to your Pediatrician’s office, an emergency treatment facility, or Pediatric Dentist.

OR

§ We transport your child in a personal vehicle to an emergency facility and wait for you to arrive. Unless you advise otherwise, we use the Pediatric Emergency room at Bryn Mawr Hospital. Dr. Stanley Horowitz in Ardmore, or your designated dentist would see dental emergencies.

§ If a serious injury or medical condition occurred, we would immediately call 911.

Whenever an injury occurs, our Staff will also notify you in writing via our Incident Report. We will ask for your signature to confirm your notification. A copy of the Report will be filed in your child’s permanent file.

The School maintains Student Accident insurance and will reimburse parents for any out-of-pocket expenses related to required treatment.