Your Childs Health

Immunisations

To receive Child Care Subsidy parents must provide proof of their child’s immunisation status.

Proof of immunisation ( AIR Immunisation History Statement , AIR Immunisation Form or AIR Medical Exemption Form) is required by the Centre upon enrolment.

All children who attend the Centre have to be immunised to ensure their own health as well as those of other children.

Parents will be notified when there is a current outbreak of infectious disease at the Centre. It is strongly recommended that if a child is not well that the child is kept at home for the protection of other children attending the Centre and his/her own protection.

Sick Children / Communicable Diseases

The Centre cannot provide care for sick children.

If you suspect your child of having an illness or infectious condition you are required to keep your child at home. This will protect the other children and the staff from unnecessary exposure to illness.

Excluding sick children is an important way of preventing the introduction or re-introduction of infection into the Centre.

Parents will be contacted if a child is observed by staff to be unable to continue with their program of activities due to illness. If parents are unable to be contacted the ’emergency contact’ person, designated by parents on the enrolment form will be asked to collect the child.

If your child is sent home from the Centre unwell he/she should not return to the Centre until they have fully recovered, or are no longer infectious to the other children and staff.

It is always advisable when using a child care centre to have a “support” person to care for your child when they are too ill to attend ‘group care’.

The exclusion periods for communicable diseases and Yarm Gwanga’s health and hygiene policies are based upon the policy document ‘Staying Healthy in Childcare’ published by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Exclusion Period Poster (PDF, 856.98 KB)

Medication

The first dose of any medication will not be given by the centre staff to any child. It is advisable that your child remains away from the centre 24 hours following commencement of medication.

Antibiotics – When your child is sick and prescribed antibiotics it is advisable for them to be kept in a quiet environment like home, for a day or two until they are feeling able to cope with the busy child care centre. Please phone the Director to discuss your child’s individual care if you are unsure whether they should return to the Centre.

Administering Medication – It is a legal requirement under Education and Care Services National Regulations that parents record instructions for staff in relation to administering medication to a child in care. This can be done on EarlyWorks (OWNA) by adding a form (medication).

Each time a child requires medication parents MUST record the following information:

• the name of the medication
• the date, time and dosage to be administered
• the date and time the medication was last administered
• the parent’s signature giving permission to staff to administer the medication.

Each time staff gives the medication the following information must be recorded:

• the signature of the staff person administering medication
• the signature of the staff person who checked the dosage.
• Always verbally notify staff that your child requires medication and remember NEVER LEAVE MEDICATION IN YOUR CHILD’S BAG.

Prescribed medication will only be given to a child if the prescribed medication is in its original package with the child’s name, the current date and dose/times to be given. Over the counter medication (such as creams) also needs to be in its original packaging and clearly labelled by the pharmacist with your child’s name and dosage instructions. You will again, need to provide written permission to administer.

Accidents

If your child has the misfortune to have an accident while at the centre our procedure is to apply First Aid treatment (all staff have appropriate First Aid Certificates); phone the Ambulance if serious and then phone parents. If parents cannot get to the centre to go with the child to Hospital a member of staff will accompany the child and wait with the child for parents to arrive.  An accident report is written by staff for all accidents or incidents that occur at the centre. This report will specify what happened, the first aid treatment given and will be signed by the witnessing staff members and parent.