INSERT CONFERENCE

1
Choosing Quality Child Care

• INSERT CONFERENCE
• INSERT PRESENTERS NAME
• INSERT DATE
• American Academy of Pediatrics 2007

2
Overview

• Terminology Key words in the child care field
  and how to use these phrases to find quality
  child care.
• Benefits/Risks What are they?
• Quality Child Care What is it?
• Resources Access AAP resources.
• Questions How to get your child care questions
  answered.

3
Types of Child Care

• Parent only care
• Relative care (kith/kin)
• Nannies/babysitters
• Friend/neighbor care
• Family child care home
• Child care center
• Specialized care

• Most families
• use a combination
• of care types.
• The best care is the
• arrangement that
• works for your family
• and meets your
• childs needs.

4
US Children in Child Care

• A majority of children are in child care in the
  US (60-70 of children less than 6 years old by
  the age of 6, 84 of all children have been
  enrolled at some time).
• Most health issues (caries cavities, obesity,
  mental health issues) have their basis in early
  childhood, so focusing on this audience maximizes
  health promotion for many kids at a critical age!

5
US Children in Child Care

• 12 million children more than 9 million are in
  licensed child care facilities.
• 105,444 child care centers.
• 213,966 family child care homes.
• 16,110 other licensed facilities.
• About 3 million children are cared for in
  unlicensed and unregulated care.

6
Helpful Terms and Tools

• Child Care Resource Referral Agencies Online
• www.childcareaware.org
• Accredited/Accreditation
• NAEYC www.naeyc.org
• NAFCC www.nafcc.org
• Child Care Regulations by State Online
  http//nrckids.org/STATES/states.htm

7
Helpful Terms and Tools

• Day Care, Child Care, Early Care and Education,
  Early Education and Child Care
• Licensed, Regulated, Monitored
• Early Learning Guidelines/Quality Rating and
  Improvement Systems

8
Benefits ofHigh Quality Child Care

• Safety first.
• Health is the foundation of quality care.
• First few years are key due to brain development.
• Promotes development (physical, cognitive,
  social-emotional).
• Improves school performance (better math,
  language, cognition, social skills,
  relationships, and self-regulation).

9
Risks Related to Child Care

• Children exposed to a poor quality environment
  (whether at home or at school) are less likely to
  be prepared for school demands and more likely to
  have their socio-emotional development derailed.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Infectious diseases and illness.
• Injuries.

10
SIDS in Child Care

• SIDS is the unexplained death of seemingly
  healthy babies 12 months or younger.
• Experts dont know what causes SIDS cannot
  predict or prevent SIDS (only reduce the risk).
• About 20 of deaths attributed to SIDS occurred
  while the infant was in the care of a
  non-parental caregiver.
• 60 in family child care.
• 20 in child care centers.

11
SIDS in Child Care

• About 1/3 of SIDS deaths in child care occur in
  the first week, 1/2 of these on the first day.
• Something intrinsic to child care? No.
• Unaccustomed tummy sleeping? Yes.
• Caregivers challenged by parents? Yes.
• Best practices
• Child care policies, training, and regulations.
• Back to sleep, tummy to play, no soft bedding.

12
State Child Care Regulations

• Should REQUIRE
• Written Safe Sleep policy, shared with all
• Training for a child care professionals before
  they start work and regularly thereafter
• Caregivers should place all babies up to 12
  months to sleep on their backs, in a
  safety-approved crib, with no soft bedding
  (bumpers, comforters, quilts, toys etc)

13
Baby in a Safe Crib
14
Infectious Diseases and Illness

• Increased illness before age 1.
• Increased illness first year of child care.
• Children in care with 6 or more have a higher
  incidence of
• Infections (ear and respiratory).
• Antibiotic use.
• Diarrhea (Salmonella, Shigella, Giardia,
  Hepatitis A).

15
Infectious Diseases and Illness

• Good news
• Most infections are mild, are present in the
  general community, and resolve without treatment.
• More common colds in preschool years, but
  protected against colds (and asthma) between the
  ages of 6-11 (same number of colds at age 13).

16
Exclusion and Prevention

• State regulations not based on medical evidence.
• Programs are allowed to adopt stricter standards.
• Evidence shows
• Children may be infectious before symptoms.
• Exclude if a) child too ill to participate, b)
  child needs greater care than caregivers can
  offer, or c) child has a harmful infectious
  disease.
• Parents, caregivers, pediatricians equally
  misinformed about evidence, when to exclude.

17
Exclusion and Prevention

• The Keys to Prevention
• Immunizations
• Hand washing
• Sanitation of toys and surfaces
• Resources
• Article Equipment in Child Care Centers Can
  Reduce Illness
• Health and Safety E-News Infectious Diseases
• Handout Preventing the Flu

18
Injuries

• Children in
• Child care centers fewer injuries than those only
  at home.
• Child care centers fewer injuries when they are
  at home than those who receive care only at home.
• Family child care programs have more injuries
  than either children in centers or those who only
  at home.
• May be due to increased supervision in child care
  or more risk-taking behaviors among children
  transitioning from care to home.

19
Injuries

• Most common and severe injuries happen when
  children fall from climbing equipment that dont
  have appropriate cushioning materials under them.

20
13 Indicators of Quality Care

• Appropriate supervision/discipline.
• Nurturing care.
• Staff to child ratio and group size.
• Immunization requirements.
• Hand washing and diapering sanitation.
• Staff director qualifications.
• Staff teacher qualifications.

21
13 Indicators of Quality Care

• Staff training.
• Medication administration.
• Emergency plan/contact.
• Fire drills.
• Appropriate outdoor playground.
• Safe storing of toxic substances.

22

• Developed by AAP.
• Includes rationale for why standards are
  important based on evidence where possible.
• Available online at http//nrc.uchsc.edu
• Print copies from
• AAP, APHA, NAEYC.

23
Managing Infectious Diseases

• Written for parents, caregivers, teachers and
  health professionals.
• Signs/Symptoms chart.
• Quick Reference Sheets for more than 50 common
  infections.

24
Healthy Child Care Web site

• www.healthychildcare.org
• Existing Web site originally designed to
  support the national Healthy Child Care America
  Campaign

25
HEALTHY KIDS, HEALTHY CARE Parents
as Partners in PromotingHealthy and Safe Child
Care
www.healthykids.us Available in Spanish
www.healthykids.us/spanish
26
Questions?
27
Your name/contact information here