facility policies

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We welcome all children. “We are committed to caring for all children. If your child has a disability or other special needs, we will do everything we can to accommodate their needs.” We will also make reasonable accommodations in the family’s primary language.  

Director & staff annually review the guidelines for recognizing child abuse and neglect. Childcare workers are in a unique position to recognize victimized children. Because of this, we are legally mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect. A report of child abuse is not an accusation. It is a request for more information by a reporter who has reasonable suspicion that abuse, or neglect may be occurring. A report does not mean that our employees must determine that abuse and/or neglect has occurred. In Idaho, Child Protective Services is responsible for that determination. Butterflies & Dragonflies employees must fully understand their legal obligation to report suspicions of child abuse, and review the guidelines upon hire and every year of employment. The training will also cover how to respond if a child discloses. It may seem easier not to get involved and believe that someone else will eventually make the report. This “wait and see” approach can be very dangerous, even deadly, for a child who is being mistreated. All staff and volunteers are mandated by law to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Abuse may be physical, emotional, or sexual. Neglect is the failure, refusal, or inability, for reasons other than poverty, to provide necessary care, food, clothing, shelter or medical care. Staff and volunteers who report in good faith are immune from civil or criminal liability. Staff or volunteers who intentionally fail to report suspicion are subject to fines or imprisonment under the law. If you suspect abuse or neglect, notify the director immediately. The incident will be documented immediately, and the director will support you while you report. Do not discuss your concerns with anyone but the director. If the director is not available, make the report directly to the Department of Health and Welfare, and notify the director by phone, text or email that you have done so. 

To prevent child abuse and neglect, this program:

1. Trains staff in the Strengthening Families Protective Factor Framework and   Stewards of Children Darkness to Light.

2. Trains staff to avoid one-staff-one-child situations if at all possible. If scheduling requires one adult be alone with one child, the parent is always informed at pick-up or drop off.

3. Design our classrooms to avoid hidden and secluded areas.

4. Makes sure interactions between children and staff can be observed and interrupted. 

5. Uses proper names for body parts.

6. Never forces children to give affection.

7. Tells children that if they have questions about someone’s behavior, the best thing they can do is ask about it.

8. Explains that secrets can be harmful.

9. Requires a background check for all staff.

10. Develops positive, non-judgmental relationships with parents.

11. Is alert to signs of stress in parents and struggles in the parent-child interaction.

12. Communicates regularly with parents concerning a child’s progress. 

13. Provides education including offering tips for specific challenges.

14. Provides opportunities for parents to become involved in their child’s care. 15. Provides information about community resources.

16. Models developmentally appropriate practices by allowing the parent observational opportunities to see their child interact with child care staff.

17. Provides an atmosphere for parents to share their experiences and develop support systems. 

18. Reaches out to fathers, grandparents and other extended family members that are involved in a child’s development. * These strategies are part of our sexual abuse prevention plan. 

Health and Safety: Items from the safe sleeping practices checklist are observed in practice. At our facility, we educate parents about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which is the unexplained death of seemingly healthy babies 12 months or younger. We educate parents about sudden unexplained infant death (SUIDS), which is the sudden and unexpected death in infancy. Most SUIDs occur during sleep, from suffocation, strangulation or entrapment. The category also includes undetermined SIDS. Safe sleeping policies: Only ASTM and CPSC approved cribs and other approved sleep equipment are used. Only approved mattresses designed for the specific bassinet, portable crib or play yard that fit tightly and without gaps are used. Cribs are completely free of all toys, blankets, quilts, soft bedding, pillows, bumper pads, sheep skins and any other additional equipment attached to or placed above the crib. Bottles and Sippy cups are never used unless an infant or toddler is held or sitting upright at a table or in a highchair. Pacifiers may be used when breastfeeding is well established with parental permission and with bottle-feeding infants until the infant falls asleep. Once the infant is asleep, remove the pacifier and wash it for future use. One-piece blanket sleepers may be used for warmth. Swaddling is not recommended. Room temperature is comfortable for a lightly clothed adult. Infants (through 12 months of developmental age and including babies of any age who cannot turn from stomach to back and back to stomach) are placed for sleep fully FLAT on their backs EVERY time they are put to sleep. 

If an infant arrives in or falls asleep in equipment other than an approved crib, the infant is promptly placed flat on her back in an approved crib. The crib is placed away from windows, blinds, and drapes. Rooms have enough light for staff to easily monitor infant breathing, skin color and signs of overheating (warm, red face and/or perspiration at the hairline or on the face). Our policy for supervision is, at least one alert adult is within sight and sound of each sleeping infant. Lighting and sound should allow appropriate supervision (BIRTH THROUGH 12 MONTHS) At least one alert adult present in the room where children are sleeping. Lighting and sound should allow appropriate supervision (13 MONTHS AND UP). We educate staff and parents about the risk factors for SIDS and SUIDS. The risk factors are posted in the infant room, and reviewed when any parent enrolls an infant. Parents are notified that there is a 20- 50% increase in the incidence of SIDS when infants are positioned on their backs in one setting and on their tummies or sides in another setting. The risk factors include infants exposed to 2nd and 3rd hand smoke, premature infants, low birth weight infants, infants exposed to drugs and/or alcohol during pregnancy, infants who are not breastfed exclusively for the first 4-6 months, (this means breast milk is neither the first food fed nor the primary food for the next 6 to 8 months), infants not current with immunizations or not immunized, infants who are not always placed fully FLAT on their backs EVERY TIME at the childcare facility and at home. Switching from back to stomach for sleep at different times significantly increases the risk of SIDS. Healthy sleeping policies means that every child sleep on cots, sleeping bags, mats, or pads.

Individual children’s bedding is stored separately - without contact with the floor or bedding of others. Sleeping equipment is stored separately (ex. the floor side of one mat does not touch the sleeping surface of another mat). Bedding is washed at least weekly and as needed. Three feet (36”) of spacing is maintained between cots, mats and cribs. If there is no room, place children as far apart as possible and/or alternate children head to feet. 

We welcome mothers and fathers with a positive environment that helps parents and staff feel they are welcome to breastfeed, pump, or bottle feed breast milk to infants and toddlers. We encourage breastfeeding with posters “Breastfeeding and breast-fed babies are welcome here”. We strive to create a culturally appropriate breastfeeding friendly environment. We require that all staff be aware of and follow the breastfeeding policy. We provide training to staff from a Certified Lactation Educator or Consultant. Staff is trained and knowledgeable in breastfeeding support and promotion, as well as storage, handling and feeding breast milk. We know about community breastfeeding resources and are connected with lactation specialists and support groups. Our policies to support breastfeeding include:  Posting our policies and publishing them in the Parent Handbook, posting local breastfeeding support resources and services with contact numbers of lactation specialists to help mothers avoid weaning too early, providing information about the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and infants, informing expectant and new families and visitors about our program’s breastfeeding-friendly policies, staff encourages breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity, providing participatory learning experiences for the children related to breastfeeding in our lesson plans,  educating families and staff that a mother may breastfeed her child wherever she has a legal right to be. You can expect that Child Care staff will always follow these policies: Staff always follow a mother’s feeding plans, including her plans if she is late to breastfeed. Breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula is served to infants less than 12 months. Juice will not be served to infants less than 12 months. Bottles will not be given when a mother is expected for breastfeeding. 

 www.idahostars.org Revised July 1, 2014 

 Pacifiers are used only:  

*To aid a baby to sleep or to soothe until mother arrives to breastfeed or only after breastfeeding is well-established  

*Only with parental permission

*We provide a designated, comfortable breastfeeding place to breastfeed. 

All Mothers are welcome to use Our Breastfeeding Room.  

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