Hygiene Standards

Hand Washing

Children will be taken to the bathroom or separate wash cloths brought to the children to enable hand washing before and after eating and after craft activities. Washcloths will be washed after each use.

Children are also expected to wash their hands after blowing their nose. Additionally, if I need to wipe a child’s nose, I will also wash my hands.

Toileting/Nappy Changes

Nappy changes will take place in the washroom. Regular times will be after morning tea, after sleep time, late afternoon then any time in between where necessary. When changing nappies I will wear disposable gloves, which will be removed once the soiled nappy is taken off and the area cleaned with wipes. The gloves and soiled items will then be disposed of and placed in a nappy bin. Once a clean nappy has been put on the child, I will wipe the changing mat and wash my hands and the child’s hands.

Children who use the toilet must flush and wash their hands before returning to the play area. I will assist those who are not yet confident at toileting.

Other Hygiene

Children will be given their own cups at the beginning of the day which will be labeled with their names. If another child drinks from that cup it will be washed to avoid the transfer of germs. At meal times each child will have their own different colored plates and utensils. If they are dropped or another child takes the utensils they will be washed.

Each child will have their own hat which will not be shared with other children. This reduces the risk of head lice being transmitted between children. There will be spare hats available if necessary that will be washed.

Bedding

Bedding will be used by the same child for the week and then washed with sensitive laundry liquid in the washing machine at the end of the week unless soiled, in which case it will be washed that day. Each child’s bed linen will be stored in a separate labeled pillowcase to avoid cross-contamination.

I will wear gloves at all times when coming into contact with bodily fluids. Gloves are then to be disposed of and hands washed.

House and Toy Cleaning

The main house cleaning will take place during non-operational hours.

During opening hours, only necessary cleaning will take place to ensure adequate hygiene standards are kept. This may include wiping tables, mattresses and sweeping (mopping if required) of the floors and general tidying. No harsh chemicals will be used whilst children are attending the service. Separate cloths will be used for cleaning each area.

All toys will be washed regularly in a mild Milton formula. Toys that have been mouthed by children will be put into a container and washed at the end of the day. Dress-ups will be washed in the washing machine once a month unless soiled, at which point that item will be removed and washed separately.