Child Safety, Health, and Nutrition: Strategies in Early Education

This report provides a comprehensive overview of child safety, health, and nutrition within early childhood education settings. It emphasizes the importance of a clean, safe, and hygienic environment to promote positive health and learning outcomes. The discussion covers key strategies for effective supervision, including active supervision and educator-child ratios, to ensure children's safety and well-being. It addresses medication administration, detailing the five rights and proper procedures. Food and drink safety protocols are outlined, including hand hygiene, food preparation, and serving practices. The report also examines infection control measures, such as immunization records and hygiene practices, to prevent the spread of illness. Additionally, it discusses how to manage separation anxiety in new children. Finally, it provides guidelines for responding to signs of illness and outlines safety considerations for excursions, ensuring informed consent, hazard control, and adequate supervision. The report references the National Quality Standard and relevant legislation to support the recommendations.

Running head: CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Introduction
In addition to delivering comprehensive teaching and learning practices, maintenance of a
clean, safe and hygienic environment at the early childhood center is essential for ensuring
positive health and learning outcomes in children (Kanwal & Rana, 2017). Thus, with this
respect this paper will provide a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the key strategies of
effective supervision, medication administration, hygienic food provisions, illness response and
exclusion which educators recruited in early childhood environments can administer to ensure
safe learning areas and maintenance of optimum health in nature.
Discussion
Clean, Safe and Hygienic Environment
As per the strategies suggested by the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality
Authority (ACECQA, 2020), Karen, Samantha, Zahida as well as other early childhood teachers
and helpers at the kindergarten must ensure that:
 All adults are thoroughly following correct hand washing, disinfection and drying
practices, such as before and after Samantha and Zahida provide food.
 All the four and five year children at the kindergarten are encouraged to follow regular
hand washing practices, such as before and after meal consumption.
 All the equipment and toys used at the kindergarten are regularly washed and sanitized.
 All the facilities of the kindergarten, such as the bathroom, rest areas, play areas and the
kitchen are cleaned and sanitized regularly.
 All workers are using cleaned and sanitary wiping procedures for cleaning children’s
noses as well as teaching children on how they can safely do it themselves.

2CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
 The kindergarten is decorated with posters and signs on correct practices of hygiene.
 All workers are skilled at providing written instruction to families in case of exclusion of
children for any infection or illness.
 There are instructions at place for safely disposing any body fluids from the premises.
Additional regulations and guidelines which Karen, Samantha, Zahida as well as other
early childhood teachers and helpers at the kindergarten can follow as per Quality Area 2 of the
National Quality Standard for Early Childhood Education and Care and School Age Care, are
(ACECQA, 2020):
 Ensuring that there are optimum number of usable basins for hand washing.
 Ensuring that all soiled linen are stored separately in an region inaccessible to children at
the kindergarten.
 Ensuring that all educators are wearing gloves when cleaning children, administering
food and medication or separating soiled linen.
Plan and Monitor Supervision
To plan and monitor the supervision and care for children as well as monitoring the
supervision by others, Caren must adhere to Quality Area 2 as per the National Quality Standard,
as per Standard 2.2 of which, she must ensure that all the four and five year old children at the
kindergarten are protected. To ensure the same, Caren must follow the practice of ‘Active
Supervision’ which requires early childhood educators to not only examine the physical
environment for any potential risks or injuries, but also being vigilant enough to listen to any
abnormal changes in tone or voice of the children (ACECQA, 2020). Caren, Samantha and
Zahida can be found to follow comply with active supervision, by noticing abnormalities in
Jordan, during distribution of safe and hygiene food to the children as well as being vigilant

3CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
enough to call for emergency services when Johnny demonstrated breathing difficulties.
Additionally, Caren must also supervise all educators at the kindergarten to ensure that they are
vigilant and in a position to observe all children at the maximum field of vision. Lastly, Caren
must ensure that the educator and children ratio is sufficient every day so that enough educators
are present to supervise the children (Perlman et al., 2019).
Settling New Children
Even though engaging in childcare services can be an enriching and exciting experience
for children, the initial introduction to the center may be cause for fear and anxiety in a new
child. It is common to find new children at the kindergarten demonstrating separation anxiety –
that, feelings of fear, crying or isolation as a result of being away from their caregiver. However,
Caren can effectively address the issue of separation anxiety in the new child, Sabrina, by
following a number of collaborative strategies with Sabrina’s parents (Lim & Jones, 2017). This
can include an orientation or induction visit where Sabrina and her parents can explore the
kindergarten and have the opportunity to be introduced and interact with the rest of the children
to ease Sabrina to settle (Norris & Horm, (2019). Additionally, Caren can interact with Sabrina’s
parents to identify her hobbies or any favorite toy or book which she can bring to the
environment in order to familiarize herself with the surroundings. Additionally, Caren can advise
Sabrina’s parents to arrive to the kindergarten for some time every day so that Sabrina gradually
adjusts to the separation and transitions to the environment. Lastly, Caren must ensure that all
educators as well as Sabrina’s parents empathize and ask Sabrina about her experiences and
motivate her on her daily performance (Harper, 2016).

4CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Infection Control
To ensure that the kindergarten is free from any infections, Caren must adopt a range of
infection control practices. This will firstly include adhering to the National Immunisation
Strategy as well as the Public Health Act 1991 by ensuring that the kindergarten has
immunization records for all the four and five year children, which are further upgraded at 6
month intervals. Thus, in case of Jordan, Caren must check his immunization records as well as
contact his family for any medication or infection history records which his family may be aware
of (Department of Health, 2020). Additionally, Caren must ensure that all workers at the
kindergarten are fully immunized to tetanus, diphtheria, measles, rubella and mumps. Other
infection control practices the kindergarten include ensuring that all educators use gloves and
that all children and educators maintain regular practices for hand washing, before and after any
activities like eating or taking medications, especially with regards to any activity involving
direct contact with Jordan. Additionally, it must be ensured that all equipment and toys are
routinely disinfected. In case of children like Jordan Caren may need to contact his family
regarding the need for exclusion at the kindergarten and also advise them to contact local
healthcare organizations for his condition (Chervenak, McCullough & Brent, 2016; Department
of Health, 2020).
Safe Medication Administration
For the purpose of administrating medications like penicillin safely in Timothy,
Samantha and Caren must firstly check the medication, the medication records, instructions for
administration and storage and other relevant documents provided by his mother and an
authorized healthcare professional, such as Timothy’s doctor. This will then be followed by
adhering to the five ‘rights of medication’ during which the dosage, time and instruction of

5CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
penicillin will be reviewed (Donoghue, 2017). Following this, Caren and Samantha, must
empathetically communicate and obtain consent from Timothy followed by washing hands,
wearing gloves and carefully measuring the amount of medication to be taken in a separate
container and instruct Timothy to wash hands and put the medication in his mouth. Caren must
then provide him water for swallowing, praise him for correct medication intake and
immediately record the details in the medication record as well as provide instructions for the
next time of medication (Slabe, Dolenc & Kvas, 2016).
Food and Drink Safety
To ensure safety in food and drink provision at the kindergarten, Zahida and Samantha
must ensure that they wash their hands and use gloves before food preparation as well as use
equipment which are cleaned. Separate chopping boards may be used to prevent cross
contamination and all foods must be cooked at 65C or above to prevent microbial spoilage.
Zahida and Samantha must ensure that all foods and drinks are then kept warm above 65C, in
clean vessels and crockery and that they wash their hands and use gloves to serve food to
children. Children must also be instructed to wash their hands, dry or wipe them before and after
food consumption (Department of Health, 2020).
Responding to Signs of Illness
For the purpose of immediately as well as appropriately responding to signs of illness or
emergencies, educators like Caren may first ensure excluding the child, in this case Johnny, from
the rest of the children as well as ensuring the supervision of workers to specifically exclude
themselves from other children when caring for Johnny. This can then be followed by reviewing
medication records or contacting Johnny’ mother for any medication which he has been
prescribed to take in case of breathing difficulties till emergency services arrive. Following the

6CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
same, Caren must contact the local healthcare organization to immediately address the issue as
per their scope of practice (Department of Health, 2020).
Monitoring Travel and Excursion
According to Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (National
Regulations) and the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (National Law)
(Victoria State Government, 2020), the key responsibilities and considerations of safety which
Caren must consider during the firestation excursion include:
 Ensuring that informed consent from parents are obtained for the excursion.
 Ensuring that every child of the kindergarten undergo supervision at all times by the
educators at the fire station as well as during the fire drill.
 Ensure that the environment for the fire drill and fire station visit is examined for all
possible hazards which are then to be controlled or removed to prevent injury to the
kindergarten children.
 Ensuring that adequate number of educators are available to supervise the children at the
excursion.
 Ensuring safety policies and children’s attendance protocols are in place during the
excursion.
Conclusion
Correctly following correct infection control, medication, hygiene and supervision
practices by educators at early childhood centers will ensure maintenance of safety and positive
learning outcomes across all children. To conclude, in addition to working with parents to settle

7CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
new children, educators must be vigilant to respond to illness in children for prevention of
adverse complications.

8CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
References
ACECQA. (2020). Children’s Health and Safety: An analysis of Quality Area 2 of the National
Quality Standard. Retrieved 12 April 2020, from
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/acecqa/files/Reports/OccasionalPaper2-
ChildrensHealthandSafety_2.pdf.
ACECQA. (2020). National Quality Standard. Retrieved 12 April 2020, from
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard.
ACECQA. (2020). Quality Area 2 Active Supervision: Ensuring Safety and Promoting Learning.
Retrieved 12 April 2020, from
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-04/QA2-
ActiveSupervisionEnsuringSafetyAndPromotingLearning_1.pdf.
Chervenak, F. A., McCullough, L. B., & Brent, R. L. (2016). Professional responsibility and
early childhood vaccination. The Journal of pediatrics, 169, 305-309.
Department of Health. (2020). Department of Health | Food Safety- Allergies, choking and food
handling. Retrieved 12 April 2020, from
https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/gug-children-
toc~gug-children-safety.
Department of Health. (2020). Department of Health | Infection control in child care settings.
Retrieved 12 April 2020, from
https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-pubs-cdi-1997-
cdi2122-cdi2122a.htm.

9CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Donoghue, E. A. (2017). Quality early education and child care from birth to
kindergarten. Pediatrics, 140(2), e20171488.
Harper, L. J. (2016). Supporting young children’s transitions to school: Recommendations for
families. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(6), 653-659.
Kanwal, A., & Rana, A. A. (2017). Child Health and School Sanitation across School
Systems. Journal of Early Childhood Care and Education, 1, 15-29.
Lim, S. M., & Jones, F. (2017). Occupational transitions for children and young
people. Occupation-centred practice with children: A practical guide for occupational
therapists, 111.
Norris, D. J., & Horm, D. M. (Eds.). (2019). Group Care for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos.
Routledge.
Perlman, M., Howe, N., Gulyas, C., & Falenchuk, O. (2019). Associations between Directors’
Characteristics, Supervision Practices and Quality of Early Childhood Education and
Care Classrooms. Early Education and Development, 1-17.
Slabe, D., Dolenc, E., & Kvas, A. (2016). Knowledge of health principles among professionals
in Slovenian kindergartens. Slovenian Journal of Public Health, 55(3), 185-194.
Victoria State Government. (2020). Excursions and regular outings. Retrieved 12 April 2020,
from https://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/providers/regulation/Pages/
excursions.aspx.