The Alabama Child Care Consortium is
funded by the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
Discussion Forums
Child Care Research and Evaluation
Funding and Policies
Kith and Kin
Information Dissemination
Leadership in Child Care
Parent Education
Training
Family Child Care
Incremental Accreditation
 Back
to Consortium Page
 Back to Civitan
Center
|
|
Committee
Photos Health and safety in the child care setting should address the
environment of the child care program, the practices and policies within that program, and
the director, staff, parents, and children involved in the child care program. It begins
with the visual appearance of the walkway and yard outside the building, the ease with
which a stranger gains entrance, the sights and smells upon entry, and continues with
activities the children are involved in, the toys they are playing with, and who is
watching them.
What do we currently know about child care health and safety practices in
Alabama?
- There are many differing ideas and perceptions about what is "healthy" and
"safe".
- There are definite gaps in getting regulations enforced across the state as well as
different levels of enforcement of the regulations.
- A large number of programs do not currently fall under licensing or regulation and, if
they did, would be in violation of those regulations.
- A large number of programs do fall under licensing regulations but still have
inadequate health and safety practices in their programs.
- Existing regulations are incomplete and provide little guidance about some safety issues
(such as developmental practice, appropriate toys, nutritional meals…).
- Fire safety inspections and interpretation of code vary by county, especially how well
inspections are carried out. There is no single statewide procedure for conducting these
or for interpreting state fire codes for child care programs.
- There are variable levels of expertise among child care programs and staff in terms of
what they teach and practice to enhance development, health, and safety.
What policies currently guide these health and safety practices?
- Department of Human Resources’ Minimum Standards (which are different for different
categories of child care).
- Head Start health and safety performance standards.
- Public Health Regulations
- Other groups that have some impact on child health and safety include the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the United
States Department of Agriculture Child and Nutrition Regulations (Administered by Alabama
Department of Education Child Nutrition Program) and local food handler permits. The State
Fire Marshal regulations also apply.
What obstacles or barriers will be encountered as we seek to improve child care
health and safety standards?
- Lack of funding to develop, enforce, or teach standards
- Lack of resources (personnel) for monitoring
- The mentality that a single agency should have all the power, resources, or answers to
address the breadth of health and safety
- Lack of consumer (parent) knowledge about importance of health and safety or about their
role to expect and demand quality and accountability
- Lack of sufficiently punitive consequences to infractions of standards
- Childcare operators, directors, and staff who make little money but face many many
demands on their time
- Public perceptions that child care is only babysitting
- Difficulty in using multi-agency efforts to collaboratively address the issue of health
and safety. Each agency has overlapping but different administrative ways to oversee
intervention
What are some innovative solutions to these barriers?
- Create a mechanism whereby health and safety standards are increased in increments and
provide alternative ways and additional support to help those who can’t meet the
standards.
- Educate the health care community (primary care providers and nursing staff) to be aware
of, ask questions about, and provide advice on child care placement-related topics.
Promote an ongoing dialog about health care issues between health
care providers, the families they serve, and the child care staff. Each is an important
link in the communication.
Training for program managers, staff, families, and children
- A health consultant model that leads information back to medical care providers
- Legislation that provides higher reimbursements for child care but also increases the
consequences for violations in health and safety standards
What are the best practices or standards that should guide improvement of
health and safety practices?
- Centers for Disease Control: guidelines on Infection Control
- American Public Health Association/American Academy of Pediatrics: Caring for our
Children:Health and Safety Guidelines
- Department of Human Resources: newly revised minimum standards for child care licensure
(subject to Legislative approval)
- Head Start model
|