Daycare Safety

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Daycare Safety
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Definition of Daycare

• Family Daycare/ Group Family Daycare
• Takes place in a home setting.
• Licensed providers are required to take special
  trainings on health, nutrition and child
  development.
• Homes are inspected by the state for health and
  safety.
• Family daycare providers can care for up to 6
  children.
• Group family daycare providers can care for up to
  12 children
• Small group of children allows for more one on
  one attention.
• If you have more than one child, they can be
  taken care in the same location.
• Family daycare providers tend to be located
  within the same community as the parents.

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Definition Continued

• Center Daycare
• A daycare center has a lot (always over 12) of
  children.
• It is a structured environment.
• Licensed and inspected by the state for health
  and safety.
• Most states require that staff members have
  training in early childhood development as well
  as health and safety and nutrition.

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Daycare Statistics

• In 1998 the Consumer Product Safety Commission
  (CPSC) published a staff study, Safety Hazards in
  Child Care Settings, in which they surveyed 220
  licensed daycare settings nationwide. Background
  information to the study provided the following
  statistics
• In 1997 there were 21 million children under
  age 6 in the U.S.
• Almost 13 million of them were placed in
  non-parental child care during some portion of
  the day
• About 29 of these children are in center-based
  care, including day care centers, Head Start
  programs, and nursery schools.
• The other 71 of these children are in
  non-center-based care, including family child
  care, in-home child care, and care by a
  relative.

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Daycare Statistics Continued

• From 1990 to 1997 at least 56 children died in
  childcare settings.
• Almost 28 of those children died from asphyxia.
• In 1997 31,000 children were admitted to U.S.
  emergency rooms for injuries which occurred in
  child care/school settings.

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Daycare Statistics

• The CPSC staff study examined safety in the
  following product areas
• Cribs
• Soft bedding
• Playground surfacing
• Playground surface maintenance
• Child safety gates
• Window blind cords
• Drawstrings on children's clothing
• And recalled children's products

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• The study showed that all of the daycare settings
  surveyed posed safety hazards to the children.
• These are the percentage of Child Care Centers
  with Safety Hazard.
• The chart refers to four types of licensed child
  care settings visited federal General Services
  Administration child care centers, non-profit
  centers, in-home settings, and for-profit
  centers.

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Safety Tips
Some questions parents should ask when
considering a daycare setting

• What is the caregiver to child ratio?
• The lower the ratio, the more attention the child
  will receive.
• Is the facility licensed? If so, by whom?
• Ask to see certificates licensed facilities
  follow stricter standards.
• How long has the facility been in operation?
• How many years of experience and training do the
  Director and/or primary caregivers have?
• Have the primary caregiver and other staff
  undergone CPR training?

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Safety Tips
More questions parents should ask

• Has any child been seriously injured or died
  while in the facility?
• Can you observe the caregiver/s in action?
• This will give you a chance to see how she/he
  interacts with the children as well the hygiene
  procedures.
• How will the provider discipline your child?
• How will you be informed about your child's
  misconduct and the disciplinary measures taken?
• If your child is hurt in the day care how will
  the child be treated and how will you be
  informed.
• If the children are taken out on outings what
  are the measures to keep them safe? How will you
  be contacted in case of an emergency?

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Safety Tips
For Daycare Providers

• Regardless of whether you run a licensed Daycare
  Center or
• family/group daycare center, or just provide
  child care to a family
• member or friend, avoid having the following
  products in the daycare
• setting
• Openings that could entrap a childs head or
  limbs
• Elevated surfaces that are inadequately guarded
• Lack of specified surfacing and fall zones under
  and around climbable equipment
• Mismatched size and design of equipment for the
  intended users
• Insufficient spacing between equipment
• Tripping hazards
• Components that can pinch, sheer, or crush body
  tissues
• Equipment that is known to be of a hazardous type
  (such as large animal swings)

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Safety Tips
More Tips for Daycare Providers

1. Sharp points or corners
2. Splinters
3. Protruding nails, bolts, or other components that
   could entangle clothing or snag skin
4. Loose, rusty parts
5. Hazardous small parts that may become detached
   during normal use or reasonably foreseeable abuse
   of the equipment and that present a choking,
   aspiration, or ingestion hazard to a child
6. Flaking paint
7. Paint that contains lead or other hazardous
   materials

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Resources
Both parents and providers can refer to the
following resources to ensure the safety and
quality of child care.
National Resource Center http//nrc.uchsc.edu Chil
d Care Health www.childcarehealth.org American
Academy of Pediatrics www.aap.org Consumer and
Product Safety Commission www.ocfs.org The
National Safe Kids campaign www.safekids.org
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References

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• www.aap.org
• Center for Disease Control and Preventio
• Parent-Provider Safety Checklist
• http//www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/childcare.pdf
• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Safety Hazards in Child Care Settings
• http//www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/ccstudy.html
• National Resource Center
• Stepping Stones, 2nd Edition
• http//nrc.uchsc.edu/STEPPING/SteppingStones.pdf