7 Promoting Good Health & Wellness
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Summarize what goes into child and staff health records.
- Describe the process of daily health checks.
- Explain good dental hygiene practices in the classroom.
- Discuss the importance of sleep.
- Identify different screenings early care and education programs can implement.
- Relate the importance of developmental screening.
- Recall ways to engage families in the screening process.
Introduction
Healthy development continues to support learning throughout childhood and later life. “Health in the earliest years…lays the groundwork for a lifetime of well-being…”[1]To promote the health of children in early care and education programs, it’s important to keep records of both children’s and staff’s health. Programs can support children’s oral health and healthy sleep habits. And they can help identify developmental and health concerns with screening.
Children’s Health Records
“The health and safety of individual children requires that information regarding each child in care be kept and available when needed. Children’s records consist of various documentation such as a child’s medical and immunization history, emergency medical care information, and parental permission to participate in specific activities…Each child care facility must keep accurate records on each child receiving care in child care.” [3]
Health records can help early care and education programs identify preventative health measures, develop care plans for children with special needs, and determine whether or not a child should be excluded from care due to illness.
Child Care licensing requirements list the following health-related items to include in the child’s records:
- Medical assessment and the following health information:
- Dietary restrictions and allergies.
- Instructions for action to be taken in case the child’s authorized representative, or the physician designated by the authorized representative, cannot be reached in an emergency.
- A signed consent form for emergency medical treatment.
- Record of any illness or injury requiring treatment by a physician or dentist and for which the center provided assistance to the child in meeting his/her necessary medical or dental needs.
- Record of current medications, including the name of the prescribing physician, and instructions, if any, regarding control and custody of medications.
- Current and updated immunization records. [4]
The National Health and Safety Standards recommends that the following also be included in the child’s records:
- A health history completed by the family at admission.
- The child’s health insurance information. [5]
Staff Health Records
It is also important for records to be kept to document the health of all staff in an early care and education program. Licensing requires the following health-related items to be in staff records:
- Health Screening Report
- TB Clearance [7]
In September of