Safety is a significant concern for parents as they look for a childcare centre to enrol their kids. The truth is, most parents do not know how to assess the safety of the various childcare centres. Therefore, they rely on the reviews of other parents and the guarantees offered by the centre's management. However, you should not base your assessment on the above factors. Read this extract for some valuable tips on how to assess the safety of a childcare centre.
Building Safety
Start by ensuring the building that houses the childcare facility meets the minimum safety requirements set by the local council. For example, it must be structurally sound. Besides, it should have fire safety equipment and measures such as extinguishers, fire alarms and wide exits. How safe is the building for the kids? Non-slip floors will help prevent floors. Besides, the washrooms must be child friendly.
Toys And Playing Equipment
The kids will regularly use playing equipment while at the facility. Therefore, it would be wise to check if the toys and playing equipment are safe for child use. For example, the kids should always be supervised when playing with the toys. Remember, they could attempt to break or chew them. Playing equipment such as bouncing castles, water slides, and swings must be in excellent condition. It helps prevent accidents when they are in use.
Diet
What foods does the facility serve? Typically, they should serve child-friendly foods that are easy to chew. Besides, they should avoid foods with gluten, crustaceans and nuts since some kids could develop allergies. Kids are known to chock on greasy foods, large pieces of meat and hard foods such as nuts and popcorn. While your kid will comfortably eat these foods at home, they may be in a hurry to eat at school since they want to play with their friends. As a result, they will easily chock.
Health Measures
The school should have strict health protocols. For example, upon admission, every parent should disclose the health status of their kids. For instance, some kids could have anxiety disorders while others could have allergies. Parents should also disclose any medication that their children take. It helps prevent mix-ups if the child falls ill while at school. Most childcare centres will have a nurse. However, parents should have the freedom to ask the school to take the child to a specific clinic or hospital if they fall ill.
Contact local childcare centres to learn more about these aspects.
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