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- Health Capsule-ECELS and Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Bureau of Certification Services Collaborate to Promote Compliance with Child Care Regulations
ECELS urges all child care providers to make sure their programs comply with state regulations. Supervision, child:staff ratios, appropriate criminal history and child abuse clearances and emergency preparedness are areas that representatives from the Bureau of Certification Services commonly verify are out of compliance. ECELS offers technical assistance about how to maintain compliance with these and other health and safety requirements in the child care regulations. If you have a good idea that works well in your program, share it with us so we can mention it when we discuss practical ideas that work. ECELS sends an E-Mail Alert to subscribers to this service whenever we post a helpful tool on our website or have health and safety news to share. To subscribe to E-Mail Alerts from ECELS, click on this link or paste it into your Web browser: www.ecels-healthychildcarepa.org and then follow the instructions you’ll find there.
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services sends important information by email to subscribers to a listserv that the Bureau maintains. The listserv allows the Bureau to send important information about compliance with regulations by email. All child care facilities are required to be in compliance with the Department’s regulations for child care facilities at all times. All child care providers who are or wish to participate in the Keystone STARS program, must be in compliance with the regulations to begin your climb towards a Keystone STARS rating. We encourage you to sign up today!
To subscribe to the Certification listserv, click on this link or paste it into your Web browser: http://listserv.dpw.state.pa.us/ocd-pa-child-care-certification.html. Select "Join or Leave the list." Put in your name and email address. Choose your subscription type, mail header style and acknowledgements. Please note: these choices default to a standard protocol. Click the button next to "Join OCD-PA-CHILD-CARE-CERTIFICATION." Then you will see a message that says a confirmation of the request will be sent separately.
Subscribers to these e-mail news services will receive a confirmation email with the directions to confirm your subscription.
This Health Capsule was jointly prepared by Beth DelConte, MD, FAAP- ECELS Pediatric Advisor, PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Amanda Dorris, Division Chief, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Departments of Education and Public Welfare, Bureau of Certification Services 2/6/2013 - Health Capsule-ASQ Developmental Screening, Free Online Tool
Easter Seals is offering a free online version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) developmental screening tool. Both parents and child care providers can use the ASQ to track children's development through age five. The tool can identify concerns for which children should receive appropriate services to be ready to enter K-12 school. The ASQ online does not include the component that evaluates behavior. However, it is widely accepted for basic screening. Many Keystone STARS programs are using a version of the ASQ now.
Be sure to have parents bring the results of the ASQ to their health care provider for review and discussion. This is especially important if the screening tool reveals concerns about the child's development. Child care providers should know how to refer children for further developmental evaluation. Call 1-800-CONNECT to access local Early Intervention services. Find the ASQ online on the website of Easter Seals Make the First Five Count: http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageNavigator/ntlc10_mffc_homepageasq.html. (7/11/12)
- Health Capsule-Bed Bugs
Many early education and child care professionals have heard reports about bed bug infestations in children's homes. Many fear the bugs will infest the program's facility. Click on the title of this Health Capsule to learn about bed bugs and the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to control of this bug. Lyn Garling, Manager of Programs, PA IPM Program, Penn State University contributed the expert content and links to credentialed websites where you can learn more. Handouts are available in English and Spanish. 9/2010 - Health Capsule-Button Batteries
The holidays are over, bringing many electronic toys, musical/talking books, mini remote controls, singing greeting cards and other electronics to homes and early learning and child care programs. Inside the battery compartment of these items are button-size, lithium batteries that can cause serious injuries when swallowed. These batteries can get stuck in a child’s throat. Saliva triggers an electrical current that causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus (food tube) in as little as two hours. Children under the age of 4 years old are at highest risk for the injury. In 2010 alone, more than 3,400 button battery swallowing cases were reported in the U.S., resulting in 19 serious injuries and in some cases, deaths. To learn more, view the 2 minute video from The Battery Controlled, a campaign supported by Energizer® and Safe Kids Worldwide: http://thebatterycontrolled.com/.
Share the following safety information with caregivers, friends, and family members:
* Look for any items that may contain coin-sized button batteries.
* Place devices out of sight and out of reach of young children.
* Keep loose or spare batteries locked away.
Keeping these batteries locked away and secured in devices is very important, but if a coin-sized button battery is swallowed:
* Take the child to the emergency room immediately. Tell doctors and nurses that it might be a coin-sized, button battery.
* Do not let the child eat or drink until an X-ray can determine if a battery is present.
* Do not induce vomiting.
* If possible, provide the medical team with the identification number found on the battery’s package.
Have a healthy and safe New Year! 1/2/2012 - Health Capsule – Communal Water Play and Pools
Water play offers wonderful developmental learning opportunities. However, early educators must control the risks of drowning and spread of infection from contaminated water. Click on the title to read the entire Health Capsule on this topic. 6/1/10 - Health Capsule–Choking Hazards
Choking is a common cause of death for young children. Most is associated with foods, the most common non-food cause is latex balloons. Click on the title of this article to learn more. 3/31/2010 - Health Capsule-Children with Special Needs, Care Plan
ECELS-Healthy Child Care PA has prepared an updated Care Plan form to gather key information to provide care for children with special health needs.The majority of early learning practitioners care for children with special health needs. The most common chronic medical condition among children is asthma. Practitioners need to know the specific details about each enrolled child with a medical or other special condition. The recently revised form collects the essential information. The form gathers instructions to care for a child’s daily needs and to handle an emergency. Early learning practitioners should arrange for parents and health professionals to complete the form when the child is first considered for enrollment and anytime a new medical condition develops. To download the new Care Plan form, either click here or go to www.ecels-healthychildcarepa.org. Click on the orange “Early Education and Child Care Providers” tab. Scroll down to the “Forms” section and then click on the “Care Plan for Children with Special Needs in Child Care.” 10/2010 - Health Capsule-CPR & Choking First Aid Update
The American Heart Association released updated guidelines for CPR for unconscious people. These new guidelines use the same technique for cardiac resuscitation and for choking. Formerly, the first responder checked the Airway, supported Breathing, and then gave chest Compressions (A-B-C). The new guidelines say give Compressions, check the Airway, and then support Breathing with mouth to nose and mouth or mouth-to-mouth breaths (C-A-B). The C-A-B sequence applies to adults, children and infants. It does not apply to newborns. The AAP has updated the "3-in-1 First Aid/Choking/CPR Chart" to reflect these changes. Visit the AAP Bookstore to order copies of the new chart. (5/9/11) - Health Capsule-Drinking Water Available All Day
Drinking water should be available indoors and outdoors all day. Milk is a fluid food and should not be replaced by water at meals or snacks where it is planned as part of the recommended intake for the child. Having ready access to drinking water is especially important on hot days except for infants who receive human milk or formula who should receive extra human milk or formula, not water.
Children should learn to drink water from a cup or by drinking from a fountain without mouthing the fixture as soon as they can master these skills. Water should be offered as often as once an hour, but no child should be allowed to have water by sucking continuously on a bottle or sippy cup as it may interfere with proper nutrition. When toothbrushing after a feeding is not performed, children who have teeth should have a drink of water to rinse the food from their teeth.
Healthy Child Care America at the American Academy of Pediatrics selected Standard 4.2.0.6 Availability of Drinking Water from Caring for Our Children as the Standard of the Month for July 2012. With hot weather of summer upon us full force, be sure all caregivers/teachers are implementing this standard. - Health Capsule-Food Safety is Critical in Hot Weather
Health Capsule - Food Safety is Critical in Hot Weather
Food-borne illness is very common. The risk of this type of illness increases in warm weather. Sending food from home and eating out-of-doors may allow perishable food to reach temperatures that foster bacterial growth. The September 2011 issue of Pediatrics reported a study of temperatures of lunches that families packed and sent with their preschool children. The researchers found only 1.6% of lunches with perishable items were at safe temperature. The study involved nine Texas child care centers and the packed lunches of more than 700 preschoolers. Even when sent with ice packs, most of the lunches were at unsafe temperatures over an hour before the food was ready to be served. The message is clear: Early educators and families must adopt practices that ensure food is at a safe temperature before feeding it to children.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is distributing a key message flier. It includes reminders about safe temperatures, how to thaw frozen foods, and how to keep food safe that must travel. In addition, it includes a reminder about throwing out any perishable food that has been out of refrigeration for 2 hours, including cooked food. You can reproduce the flier for distribution to staff and families. It is available at http://fightbac.org/storage/documents/flyers/chill_%20fightbac_factsheet_2010_color.pdf. If the link in this message is not active in your computer, copy and paste it into the web address box on your internet browser’s home page. (8/17/11)
- Health Capsule - Heat Kills Children in Cars
Children die in hot cars every year. Click on the title of this article to read more about why this is such a big risk for young children and what to do to protect children from being injured in a hot vehicle. 7/14/2010 - Health Capsule-Heat Stroke in Vehicles
Death from heat stroke in vehicles is entirely preventable. Half-way through 2012, 15 children have already died from heat stroke after being left unattended in vehicles. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has teamed up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Safe Kids USA to promote the “Look Before You Lock Campaign.” In a You-Tube video, Linda Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development at ACF, speaks to Head Start and child care providers about the importance of double checking for children before closing any type of vehicle. View the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBI8EgNxzpI. Check cars, vans and buses. A child may be asleep, lying down or strapped in where it is hard to see. Follow these 3 vital safety steps:
1. Walk the length of the van or bus
2. Inspect each seat
3. Review the names and numbers of all present (7/29/12)
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