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Health, Illness, and Medication Policies

Notification and Handling Children's Illnesses, Accidents, and Injuries

When a child is injured or has a minor accident while in the program, staff will first administer first aid. Children who become ill while attending childcare will be sent home. Parents will be notified immediately and will be expected to pick up the child promptly. An ill or injured child may not stay at the Children’s Center. Children who are ill or have been sent home by a school nurse will not be accepted into care at the Children’s Center that day. All communicable illnesses will be reported to the local health department pursuant to the Colorado State Department of Public Health and Environment. We follow the ‘How Sick is too Sick’ Health Department guidelines. 

In case of an emergency, 911 will be called and the child will be taken to the closest emergency room at Common Spirit St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1000 Lincoln Street, Fort Morgan.

The following is the order of notifications and reports:

  1. Emergency Services will be notified.
  2. Families will be notified.
  3. Morgan County School District Re-3 Accident Report will be completed.
  4. The Department of Human Services Accident Report will be completed.

Storing and Administering Medications

Any medication that must be given requires written permission from the student’s doctor and a parent must sign the Permission for Medication Form file: JLCD-E. This includes prescription and non-prescription medication. 

The medication must be brought in an original labeled container and have doctors’ orders for the administration of the medication. Medications are stored out of the reach of children in a locked cabinet. Refrigerated medications are stored in a locked box in the refrigerator in the clinic.

Medication will be given at school only if the effectiveness is altered by not giving it during the school day.   

If it becomes necessary for a child to take any form of medication at school, these steps must be followed:

  1. Only staff members trained in Medication Administration and given Nurse Consultant Delegation will be allowed to give medication to children at the Children’s Center.
  2. Written authorization from the physician for the school stating the child’s name, reason for medication, medication name, dosage, time to be given, length of time of administration and any side effects or reaction to watch for.
  3. Written authorization from the parent/guardian.
  4. An adult must bring the medication to the center in its original pharmacy labeled container.
  5. The medication must also have written orders from the physician and a “Permission for Medication” form signed by a parent/guardian. Any time medication and/or dosage changes throughout the year, all paperwork (written doctor’s orders, permission for medication form and label on the pharmacy bottle) must be updated. Prescriptions must be renewed at the beginning of each year. 
  6. The staff member with medication administration authorization will keep a medication log. 
  7. All medication is kept locked up in the clinic and inaccessible to children.
  8. All over-the-counter medication sent to school to the child will not be given and will be kept at the center and given back to the parent.

Health 

To maintain health in our environment, teachers spray down the classroom with a sanitizing or disinfecting solution every night. Toys are sanitized and disinfected once a week and stuffed animals and bedding are washed weekly. The children’s cots are washed down daily with a sanitizing solution after nap time. The walls, sinks, tables, bathrooms, cribs, highchairs, cubbies, and other furniture are constantly maintained and washed.

Before a child can start care, a Health Form must be signed by a doctor and returned to the center. Once a child is enrolled, this form will be renewed annually. 

The Health Status Form, Immunization Form, and Over the counter Medication Form must also be updated as directed by your physician. 

Illness Policy Screenings

For the health and safety of children and staff, we ask that parents keep their child at home if they do not feel well enough to participate in normal activities, need more care than staff can provide or have any of the symptoms listed below:

  1. Fever over 100.4
  2. Vomiting
  3. Diarrhea
  4. Flu symptoms
  5. Coughing (severe)
  6. Rash with Fever
  7. Chicken Pox
  8. Pink Eye (until treated)
  9. Head Lice (until treated)
  10. Hepatitis A
  11. Impetigo
  12. Ringworm
  13. Roseola
  14. RSV (until doctor approved return)
  15. Strep Throat
  16. Vaccine Preventable Diseases (until doctor approved return)

If your child is sent home, they must be symptom free for 24 hours, on antibiotics or have a doctor’s approval before returning to the Children’s Center. 

To mitigate the spread of lice, the Program Director has the option of sending home any child with live lice for initial treatment.  Children with nits only may remain in childcare if parents are actively combing out and treating the nits.

Vision, Dental, and Hearing Screenings will occur during the school year for our Infant, Toddler, and PreK Care programs.  Families will be given advance notice and will be able to authorize permission before the screening occurs.  The dates for the screenings will vary according to the availability of the screeners. Families may also opt out of any or all the screenings by documenting their choice on the permission slips.

Screenings and Assessments and Referrals

Staff and professionals will conduct various screenings and assessments of children while enrolled.

Assessments may include: 

  • Dental Screenings
  • Vision Screening
  • Hearing Screening
  • Ages and Stages Questionnaire
  • Ages and Stages Questionnaire Social and Emotional
  • Informal Classroom Assessments
  • Teaching Strategies Gold Assessments

Based on the screening results referrals for appropriate services will be made.  Families will be given advance notice and will be able to authorize permission before the screening occurs.  The dates for the screenings will vary according to the availability of the screeners. Families may also opt out of any or all the screenings by documenting their choice on the permission slips

COVID Policy

The pandemic has presented unique challenges for early childhood, but the Children’s Center will make every effort to support families and continue providing services through pandemic incidents. To reduce or lower the transmission, infection, and disease severity of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), Children’s Center has practices and strategies in place for both program staff and enrolled children. This practice includes hand washing, environmental cleaning, disinfecting, quarantining, distance play, masking, and classroom closures. This policy may be updated at any time to align with current needs of the community and public health guidance for COVID-19. 

Immunization of Students

Before your child begins care at the Children’s Center, you must provide your child’s immunization record if it is not obtainable from the Colorado State Immunization site. The Children’s Center is required to have an immunization or exemption record kept in file at the center. If your child needs immunizations, you will be notified to have them done before your child can return to childcare. Parents may also file an exemption form on the CIIS website.  The Immunization Record must be updated according to the age requirements of your child as stipulated by the Health Department. 

Staff members who manage or process immunizations are trained annually on immunization courses through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Safe Infant Sleep Policy

Safe Infant Sleep in Child Care

Providing infants with a safe place to grow and learn is very important. For this reason, the Children’s Center has created a policy on safe sleep practices for infants up to 1-year-old. We follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide a safe sleep environment and reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is “the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation.”  The staff, substitute staff, and volunteers at the Children’s Center follow the AAP safe sleep policy. Additionally, staff monitor sleeping infants with a visual check of their sleep position, skin color, breathing, and body temperature in their cribs every 15 minutes.

Sleep Position

  • Infants will be placed flat on their backs to sleep every time unless there is a physician’s signed sleep position medical waiver up to date on file. In the case of a waiver, a waiver notice will be posted at the infant’s crib without identifying medical information. The full waiver will be kept in the infant’s file. 
  • Infants will not be placed on their side for sleep.
  • Devices such as wedges or infant positioners will not be used.
  • Infants who use pacifiers will be offered their pacifier when they are placed to sleep, and it will not be put back in should the pacifier fall out once they fall asleep.
  • Pacifiers will be cleaned between each use, checked for tears, and will not be coated in any solution.
  • Parents are asked to provide replacement pacifiers on a regular basis.
  • While infants will always be placed on their backs to sleep, when an infant can easily turn over from back to front and front to back, they can remain in whatever position they prefer to sleep.

Sleep Environment

  • Our program will use safety-approved cribs and firm mattresses.
  • Crib slats will be less than 2 3/8” apart.
  • Infants will not be placed to sleep on any standard bed, waterbeds, couches, air mattresses, or on other soft surfaces.
  • Only one infant will be placed to sleep in each crib. Siblings, including twins and triplets, will be placed in separate cribs. 
  • The crib will have a firm tight-fitting mattress covered by fitted sheet and will be free from blankets, loose bedding, toys, and other soft objects (i.e., pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, stuffed toys, etc.)
  • To avoid overheating, the temperature of the rooms where infants sleep will be checked and will be kept at a level that is comfortable for a lightly clothed adult.
  • Sleep clothing, such as sleepers, sleep sacks, and wearable blankets, will be used as safe alternatives to blankets.
  • Bibs and pacifiers will not be tied around an infant’s neck or clipped on to an infant’s clothing during sleep.
  • Smoking is not allowed in or near the Children’s Center.

Supervision

  • When infants are in their cribs, they will be always within sight and hearing of staff.
  • A staff member will visibly check on the sleeping infants every 15 minutes.
  • When an infant is awake, they will have supervised ‘tummy time.’ This will help babies strengthen their muscles and development.

Training

All staff, substitute staff, parents, and volunteers at the Children’s Center will be trained in safe sleep policies and practices.

Safe sleep practices will be reviewed with all staff, substitute staff, and volunteers each year.  In addition, training specific to these policies will be given before any individual is allowed to care for infants.

Documentation that staff members, substitutes, and volunteers have read and understand these policies will be kept in each individual’s file.

All staff and substitutes at the Children’s Center will be trained in first aid for unresponsive infants as well as what to do when they have a question or need assistance before, they are allowed to care for infants.

When the Policy Applies

This policy applies to all staff, substitute staff, parents, and volunteers when they place an infant to sleep at the Children’s Center.

Communication Plan for Staff and Parents

Parents will review this policy when they enroll their child in the Children’s Center and a copy will be provided in the parent handbook and a paper copy will be available at parent’s request.  Parents are highly encouraged to follow this same policy when the infant is at home.  These policies will be posted in prominent places. Information regarding safe sleep practices, safe sleep environments, reducing the risk of SIDS in childcare as well as other program health and safety practices will be shared if any changes are made. A copy will also be provided in the staff handbook. 

Any individual who has questions regarding this policy may ask Program Contact: 

Esther Cooley, Early Childhood Program Director for the Children’s Center.

esther.cooley@fortmorgank12.com or 970-542-0731 ex. 40216/4031

Food Allergies

The Children’s Center must be notified in writing of any food allergies a child may have. All medical documentation must be submitted before the child begins care in the program. Please see (File: JLCDA) for further information