Tag Archives: health and safety

A Webinar for Child Care Health Consultants The Shifting Landscape for Health and Safety in Child Care

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Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016
1–2 p.m. EST

Register Online Now!

The National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW) invites Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) to register for the second in a series of ongoing webinars to support child care health consultation in all early childhood education (ECE) settings. Join us to explore new developments in early childhood health and safety. Find out how to strengthen programs’ health and safety practices.

Topics for the webinar include:

  • Identifying the new state requirements for health and safety training
  • Understanding key data that programs can use to promote effective health and safety practices
  • Recognizing how to find information about your state’s approach to health and safety

Who Should Attend?

This webinar will benefit child care health and nurse consultants; health educators and advocates; Head Start health services staff; and school nurses working with pre-K programs.

Select the link to register: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/phta48t05aaa&eom

Questions?

Contact NCECHW at health@ecetta.info or call (toll-free) 1-888-227-5125.

Understanding Subsidy Eligibility Policies in the New CCDF Final Rule, Thursday, December 15, at 3:00 p.m.

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Please join the Office of Child Care on Thursday, December 15, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time for our second webinar in this series. The webinar will focus on implementing new Child Care and Development Fund subsidy policies, including continuity of care and graduated phase-out.

Participants can register for the webinar via this Web link.

Please note: The date for the third webinar in the series has been changed to January 12, 2017; the timeframe will still be 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and the topic of that webinar will be Consumer Education and Parental Choice.

From November 4 e-mail: CCDF Topical Webinar Series Begins November 17.

As a part of our ongoing effort to support Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program grantees with the work of implementing the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 and the new CCDF program regulations, the Office of Child Care is launching a new webinar series that will feature monthly webinars focusing on specific CCDF policy topics. The multifaceted discussion on each webinar will include a presentation on the policy and requirements around a particular topic; a conversation focused on State, Territory, or Tribal experiences; and suggested resources and next steps that CCDF administrators and partners can take as they move toward full implementation of the new policies.

Webinars will be held on the third Thursday of every month from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). They will also be recorded and posted on line for those who are unable to join the live presentation. The first three dates for the webinars are as follows:

  • November 17 at 3 p.m. ET—Health and Safety Standards and Training Requirements
  • December 15 at 3 p.m. ET—12-Month Eligibility and Graduated Phase-Out
  • January 12 at 3 p.m. ET—Consumer Education and Parental Choice (Originally scheduled for January 19).

 The registration link for the third webinar will be forthcoming.

Supervision and Transitions: ACF-IM-HS-15-05

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09/18/2015

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM

TO: Head Start and Early Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: Supervision and Transitions

INFORMATION:
The Office of Head Start (OHS) asks all Head Start and Early Head Start program leaders to remind staff to prioritize children’s safety by providing continuous supervision. Governing bodies, Tribal Councils, Policy Councils, directors, and managers must create a culture of safety within their programs. Everyone shares responsibility for keeping children safe. Grantee staff must ensure that “no child will be left alone or unsupervised while under their care” (45 CFR1304.52 (i)(1)(iii)).

OHS has received reports about children being left unsupervised inside and outside of Head Start programs, as well as on playgrounds and buses. These incidents are a grave concern for programs, OHS, and the families who entrust their children to Head Start care. Leaving children unsupervised increases the risk of serious injuries and emotional distress. Children who leave the Head Start facility alone may be exposed to further danger.

At the regional level, OHS responds to these incidents by contacting the grantee to gather information regarding the context, circumstances, and follow-up actions, including whether the incident has been reported to the appropriate licensing entity. Regional Offices also request copies of relevant documentation, such as communication with the family of the child or children involved, licensing reports and investigations where applicable, written procedures and related training records, and actions taken by the program in response to the incident.

On the local level, OHS recommends that each grantee’s governing body (the Tribal Council in Region XI) and Policy Council work with program management to develop and communicate an agency-wide child supervision plan. The plan should build a culture of safety by ensuring that each person understands his or her role in keeping all enrolled children safe, and that child-to-staff ratios are maintained at all times.

Active supervision is a set of strategies for supervising infants, toddlers, and preschool children in the following areas: grantee, delegate, and partner classrooms; field trips and socializations; family child care homes; and on playgrounds and school buses. Grantees should include action steps to implement each active supervision strategy in their child supervision plans. These six strategies work together to create an effective approach to child supervision.

  • Set up the environment to supervise children at all times. This may include developing and posting a daily classroom schedule for children, teachers, substitutes, and volunteers to follow that helps to keep the day predictable. The height and arrangement of classroom furniture and outdoor equipment should be considered to allow effective monitoring and supervision of children at all times.
  • Position staff to see and reach children at all times. Plans can include staffing charts that identify the teacher responsible for each area or activity and his or her duties during transitions before and after an activity.
  • Scan the environment, including assigned areas of the classroom or outdoor area, and count the children. Staff need to communicate with each other so everyone knows where each child is and what each one is doing. This is especially important in play areas and on the playground when children are constantly moving.
  • Listen closely to children and the environment to identify signs of potential danger immediately. Listen to and talk with team members, especially when a staff person or a child has to leave the area, so that staff knows where other staff are located.
  • Anticipate children’s behavior to give children any needed additional support, especially at the start of the school year and during transitions. Children who wander off or lag behind are more likely to be left unsupervised.
  • Engage and redirect when children are unable to solve problems on their own. Offer different levels of assistance according to each individual child’s needs.

Transitions are often the most challenging times to supervise children. To prevent children from being left unsupervised, program plans should include specific strategies for managing transitions throughout the day, such as when children arrive, leave, or move from one location to another within a center. Some examples may include:

  • Develop specific plans for regular routines, such as drop-off and pick-up times, including staff assignments (who will monitor the door, etc.).
  • Ensure teachers, teachers’ aides, and volunteers know when transitions will take place and are in position to provide constant supervision.
  • Discuss how the team will adjust to maintain appropriate adult-to-child ratios at all times, including when a teacher needs to leave the room.
  • Ensure parents understand their responsibilities during drop-off and pick-up of their child, and be alert to and communicate potential child wanderings as needed.
  • Limit the amount of time children are waiting in line to transition.
  • Reaffirm to children what adults expect during transitions.
  • Include plans for irregular times, such as when a center closes early due to weather or an outside door is open to allow the delivery of supplies.

Programs should report incidents of unsupervised children to the Regional Office of Head Start within three days of the incident, including, where applicable, any reports made or information shared with child welfare agencies, state licensing bodies, and parents. Regional Offices will provide technical assistance, as appropriate.

Programs are busy, active places. Head Start grantees that develop and use child supervision plans include roles for everyone to create a culture of safety where children can learn and grow.

Please contact your Office of Head Start Regional Office for more information on child safety, active supervision, and transitions.

/ Blanca E. Enriquez /

Blanca E. Enriquez
Director
Office of Head Start

Source: Office of Head Start

Available at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/im/2015/resour_im_005_091815.html

Available in Spanish at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/Espanol/IMs%20en%20español/2015/resour_ime_005e_091815.html

Home Visiting: The Expansion of an Idea 

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8/2015

Investing in home-based services for pregnant women and new parents is a topic of high interest. Of the myriad ways to reach out to young children and their parents, home visiting has surfaced as a uniquely promising approach for promoting the early intervention mission.

These features include:

Reaching new parents in a nonstigmatizing manner: Outside of public education, prenatal and obstetric care are among the most broadly accessed services in the United States. Offering home visiting within a health care framework engages new parents without requiring them to be singled out as facing unique difficulties. Similarly, all parents share a common interest in preparing their children for later learning and insuring they are well positioned to nurture their child’s healthy development and early learning.

Minimizing barriers to accessing service: Accessing any intervention can be daunting, particularly for parents lacking experience and skills in navigating complex service delivery systems. Home visiting helps parents overcome barriers to service access and connects families with appropriate supports in a timely manner.

Individualizing the message: Home visiting providers tailor their messages to fit a parent’s specific knowledge, skills, cultural beliefs, and learning style. Personalizing services is particularly important given the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of a state’s new parent population.

Opportunities to evaluate the home environment and engage other caregivers: Delivering services within a participant’s home offers a unique opportunity to determine the physical safety of a child’s most proximate environment. Repeated home visits allow for a more nuanced assessment of the home’s general stability, relationships among family members, and availability of informal and formal supports.

Since the early 1970s, home visiting programs have proliferated in the United States. They have been promoted as a strategy to engage parents in their young child’s early learning, to insure a new mother and her infant have access to a high-quality medical home, and to address parental and contextual challenges that place a young child at risk for child maltreatment or poor developmental outcomes. Changes to federal policy in 1989 allowed states to use Medicaid dollars to support early home visiting. Over the past 40 years, several states, such as Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia, have used these funds, and state-generated resources, to expand home visiting programs they found promising or establish at least one new parent initiative to support a parent concerned about how she might best care for her children. Federal investments in home visiting also were available through the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). In the 2003 CAPTA reauthorization, voluntary home visiting was identified as one of the core Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) program services included in Title II of the Act.

In 2010, Congress passed the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bill provided for a $1.5 billion public investment to assist states, territories, and tribal entities in replicating evidence-based, targeted home visiting programs and building a comprehensive early childhood system to promote the health and safety of pregnant women, children ages 0–8, and their families. This legislation, while dramatically increasing home visiting services across the country, benefited from the early replication work achieved by states, often working in partnership with one or more national home visiting models.

This video provides a visual of how home visiting has spread throughout the country as seen through the lens of five evidence-based home visiting models. These five include four of the oldest and most widely available models in the country (Healthy Families America, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters – HIPPY, Nurse Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers) as well as one of the newer models gaining increased attention (SafeCare). The video does not represent all investments—either state or federal—in home visiting at any point in time. Rather, it illustrates the date at which each model’s current affiliate agencies began enrolling families. Collectively, the video illustrates how these five models have expanded over the years and how communities increasingly gained access to a greater array of home visiting options.The continued expansion of home visiting and the ability to provide families with access to an array of strategies is essential if the approach is to achieve its goal of providing all parents the capacity they need to insure their child’s healthy development and safety.

Source: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

Available at: https://vimeo.com/134656037

Caring for Our Children Basics: Health and Safety Foundations for Early Care and Education 

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8/2015

Evidence continues to mount that shows the profound influence children’s earliest experiences have on later success. Nurturing and stimulating care given in the early years builds brain structures that allow children to maximize their potential for learning. While high quality early care and education settings can have significant developmental benefits and other positive long term effects for children well into their adult years, poor quality settings can result in unsafe environments that disregard children’s basic physical and emotional needs.

Great progress has been made in States to safeguard children in out of home care, yet more work must be done to ensure children can learn, play, and grow in settings that are safe and secure. States vary widely in the number and content of health and safety standards as well as the means by which they monitor compliance. While there are differences in health and safety requirements by funding stream (e.g. Head Start, Child Care Development Fund, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Title I), early childhood program type (e.g. center-based, home-based) and length of time in care, there are basic standards that must be in place to protect children no matter what type of variation in program. Until now, there has been no federal guidance that supports States in creating basic, consistent health and safety standards across early care and education settings.

ACF is pleased to announce Caring for Our Children Basics: Health and Safety Foundations for Early Care and Education. Caring for our Children Basics represents the minimum health and safety standards experts believe should be in place where children are cared for outside of their homes. Use of Caring for our Children Basics is not a federal requirement. Standards on the following topics are included:

  • Staffing
  • Programs Activities for Healthy Development
  • Health Promotion and Protection
  • Nutrition and Food Service
  • Facilities, Supplies, Equipment, and Environmental Health
  • Play Areas/Playgrounds and Transportation
  • Infectious Disease
  • Policies

Caring for our Children Basics seeks to reduce conflicts and redundancies found in program standards linked to multiple funding streams. Caring for our Children Basics should not be construed to represent all standards that would need to be present to achieve the highest quality of care and early learning. For example, the caregiver training requirements outlined in these standards are designed only to prevent harm to children, not to ensure their optimal development and learning.

Caring for our Children Basics is the result of work from both federal and non-federal experts and is founded on Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, Third Edition, created by the American Academy of Pediatrics; American Public Health Association; and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education with funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The Office of Child Care, Office of Head Start, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Interdepartmental Liaison for Early Childhood, and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau were instrumental in this effort. Although Caring for our Children Basics is not required, the set of standards was posted for public comment in the Federal Register to provide ACF with practical guidance to aid in refinement and application.

Quality care can be achieved with consistent, basic health and safety practices in place. Though voluntary, ACF hopes Caring for Our Children Basics will be a helpful resource for states and other entities as they work to improve health and safety standards in licensing and quality rating improvement systems. ACF also hopes Caring for Our Children Basics will support efficiency of monitoring systems for early care and education settings. A common framework will assist child care licensing agencies in working towards and achieving a more consistent foundation for quality upon which families can rely.

Source: Early Childhood Development, Administration for Children and Families

Available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/caring-for-our-children-basics

Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Baseline Assessment Tools

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6/30/2015

The purpose of the baseline is to understand the grantees and partners’ current capacity. Baseline information will be used to identify technical assistance needs or other supports. This includes additional start-up funding that may be needed to ensure grantees and partners are on track to meet Early Head Start requirements at 18 months. The baseline will gather information from the following areas: environmental health and safety; fiscal management systems; governance; program management systems including eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance (ERSEA); and comprehensive services.

Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, Office of Head Start

Available at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/grants/monitoring/additional-resources.html

Keep Children Safe Using Active Supervision

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1/2014

Children learn best when they are in safe, well-supervised environments. Head Start staff can reduce the possibility of a child getting hurt when they closely observe children and respond when needed. When programs think systematically about child supervision they create safe, positive learning environments for all children.Using active supervision means that programs:

  • Develop a systems approach for child supervision
  • Provide staff development and resources to ensure program-wide implementation
  • Use redundant strategies to ensure no child is left unattended

Revisit the webinars from A Week on Active Supervision. This five-part series showcased National Center active supervision resources across the birth to 5 continuum. The Office of Head Start (OHS) answered questions from the field and provided strategies for keeping children safe in Head Start and Early Head Start settings. Be sure to listen to OHS Deputy Director Ann Linehan’s important message about Head Start’s responsibility to ensure all enrolled children are accounted for and safe.

Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

Available at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/health/safety-injury-prevention/safe-healthy-environments/active-supervision.html

Baby E-lert, Sharing Information on the Quality Care of Infants, Toddlers, and their Families

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4/7/2014

This Baby E-lert presents two health and safety resources relevant to promoting best practices for caring for infants and toddlers.  Also included are a parenting program for mothers and an article on observation. Share them with co-workers, families, and other early care professionals in your community!

Source: Early Head Start National Resource Center

Available at: http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=579784392aff8aa5d251c89ab&id=8322af7ff1&e=f28bfaf0fd

Active Supervision Webinar

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2/27/2014
2 – 3 p.m. EST

Join the Office of Head Start National Center on Health (NCH) for a webinar that explores active supervision and how you can transform child supervision in your program. Actively supervising children is the best way to keep them safe. Discover strategies that you can use in classrooms, on playgrounds, and in family child care homes

Topics for this webinar include:

  • Defining active supervision
  • Identifying and practicing six active supervision strategies
  • Exploring ways to use and adapt these strategies in your program

Who Should Participate?

This webinar will benefit an array of audience members, including: Head Start center directors, education managers, classroom and assistant teachers, family child care providers, playground monitors, child care providers, and other adults who supervise children in programs.

How to Register

Participation is free. Select this link to register: https://goto.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1029210

After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar on Thursday, Feb. 27. It will be recorded and archived on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) for later viewing.

Certificate of Participation

Participants will receive a certificate of participation upon completion on an online evaluation. A link to the evaluation will be available when the webinar closes. Participants must complete the online evaluation in order to receive a certificate. Only participants in the live presentation will be eligible.

Questions?

For more information, contact NCH at nchinfo@aap.org or 1-888-227-5125.

via National Center on Health Event.

WEBINAR: Impact of Air Pollution on Children’s Health

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The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified air pollution as carcinogenic to humans, recognizing that outdoor air pollution is a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.

How does air pollution impact children’s health? How are children’s lungs different from adults, and how does this influence their susceptibility to the adverse health effects of air pollution? Learn the major types and sources of air pollution and the health outcomes associated with each, as well as how to control and prevent sources of air pollution.

Health professionals and community organizations play a crucial role in addressing air pollution: they can use their experience and expertise to advocate for strong clean air laws. Learn what federal protections are currently in place under the Clean Air Act, how current and future legislation would change them, and how to get involved in the discussion to improve children’s health.

Date: December 4th, 2013
Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm
Cost: FREE
Call in information below

Who should participate? Public health professionals, environmental health professionals, clinicians, nurses, community organizations, health care professional organizations, child health advocates, and government agencies.

Speakers: Jerome A. Paulson, MD, FAAP
Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health
The George Washington University
Medical Director for National & Global Affairs
Child Health Advocacy Institute
Director of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment
Children’s National Medical Center

Laura Kate Anderson Bender
Coordinator, Virginia Healthy Air Coalition
American Lung Association 

In her role with the American Lung Association, Laura Kate Bender has built a coalition of public health and healthcare professionals across Virginia to advocate for clean air protections. The Healthy Air Campaign’s goals are to raise the profile of air pollution as a public health issue and to influence Virginia’s members of Congress in the national clean air debate. Previously, Laura Kate worked to further environmental protections in Virginia with the advocacy group Environment America. She studied at American University in Washington, DC.

 

To Join the Meeting: 

1. Go to:  https://childrensnational.webex.com/childrensnational/onstage/g.php?d=669925740&t=a
2. Click “JOIN”.
Phone Option A: To have WebEx call you, select the “Call me at a new number” option and enter your telephone number. 

Phone Option B: To manually dial into the meeting, select the “I will call in” option and follow the instructions listed, making sure to enter in the Meeting Number and your personalized attendee number.

1. Call conference number
Meeting Dial in Number:
US Toll Free 1-877-668-4493
2. Enter the meeting number/access code: 669 925 740 

What is the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment (MACCHE)?

The Mid-Atlantic Center is the PEHSU for Federal Region III; serving all those who live and work in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Virginia and West Virginia.  We are located out of Children’s National Medical Center and affiliated with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  We work with a variety of partners, including health care professional organizations, non-profits, community-based organizations and medical centers.  Since 2006, we have conducted over 400 trainings with over 25,000 in attendance. Learn more at:www.childrensnational.org/macche.

Source: The Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment and the Virginia Healthy Air Coalition, a program of the American Lung Association