Providing a healthy environment is one of the most important jobs of any childcare facility. In unclean environments, disease, illness and infection can spread easily, and it is modern sanitation and disinfection practices that have helped us to live healthier!
When it comes to children, sanitation is so important. Children are not born with good instincts for hygiene and sanitation. In fact, most children have a natural tendency toward behaviors that put them at additional risk. For this reason, it’s important for childcare providers to make sure they are doing what they can to maintain sanitation practices.
In this post, we are going to look at some of the things childcare providers can do to provide a safe and clean environment for the children in their care.
Hand Washing Policies
Hand washing should be at the top of every sanitation list for childcare centers. Studies have shown that frequent hand washing is one of the keys to maintaining a hygienic facility, and it is one of the most effective measures for preventing the spread of infection and illness.
Childcare facilities should have a hand washing policy to cover the times when hand washing is necessary and to teach staff members and children the correct procedure for washing hands.
Caring for Food
With children being fed throughout the day, the childcare facility has policies for the storage, handling, preparation and serving of food. This is one area where hand washing is critical. Along with that, any place where food is stored or prepared should be cleaned and sanitized regularly.
Standardized Cleaning Practices
Since sanitation is so important, the practices and cleaning procedures should be standardized. Every room should have a cleaning plan that is carried out every day, and special attention should be paid to bathrooms and diaper changing stations. Along with having a top to bottom cleaning plan for the entire facility, there should be cleaning practices and policies surrounding events that could increase the risk of infection or illness.
Use the Right Cleansers
Having a plan to clean the facility is a good start, but you need to make sure to use the right cleaning products. You want to make sure to use products that are safe for an environment that has children. All cleaning products need to be stored in a way that will prevent the children from exposure.
Staff Training
Childcare staff should be trained in all of the hygiene and sanitation practices of the facility. Teach them the hand washing policy, the cleaning schedule, how to clean different objects and how to identify different situations that could increase the risk of infection or illness.
Sanitation plays an important role in the modern world! While much of it may be review, sanitation is something that needs to be taught. Policies and practices should be developed to maintain proper sanitation, and they should be taught to all staff at a childcare facility.