According to the CDC, young children get an average of 6 to 8 colds every year. That means your little ones will most likely be coughing, sneezing, and feeling tired and achy at some point during the year. Ka Hana Pono Daycare has opened in the middle of flu season & during a time of seasonal change & the winter season is known for its cold and flu frequency. Our goal is to protect the health of children at Ka Hana Pono Daycare and to minimize the spread of illness.
Ka Hana Pono Daycare is taking the following steps to maintain a healthy environment:
Teaching the children healthy habits such as frequent hand washing – (listed below).
All surfaces and toys at Ka Hana Pono Daycare are cleaned with Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Bleach (non-toxic natural oxygen bleach) daily. The tables and chairs are wiped down in the morning upon arrival, before all snacks/meals, after all snacks/meals, at the end of the day and; as necessary in between those times.
Encouraging children and staff to drink water to stay hydrated and to allow the water to flush your system to get toxins out.
Doing Daily Health Checks of the Children – if your child is showing signs of illness we have to contact you and have you pick up your child from the daycare center.
Last week Thursday morning we had to send two children home; both children had a runny nose and deep cough but no fevers while at the center. I want to thank those families who had to return and pick their children up for being understanding, for returning quickly, and for updating me today and letting me know the children were better.
At Ka Hana Pono the Children Have Been Practicing Healthy Habits:
Cough and sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, not hands.
Wash hands often with soap and water. We wash hands:
Before and After Eating
After Bathroom Breaks
After Playing Outside
After coughing, sneezing, or any contact with saliva, nasal secretions, etc…
After touching something that could be contaminated, such as a trash can, cleaning cloth, soil, etc…
To try to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth – (This is a hard one for children, but frequent hand washing can help).
To tell you (parent) or me (their caregiver) if they feel sick.
Children need coaching on proper handwashing until about 8 years of age (rub and scrub all surfaces for 20 seconds).
We use a Handwashing Song (to the tune of Row Row Row Your Boat). If children was their hands with soap and water during the time it takes to sing this song then they will have effectively cleaned them well!
Wash, wash, wash, your hands play our handy game. rub and scrub, scrub and rub germs go down the drain HEY! Wash, Wash, Wash your hands play our handy game rub and scrub, scrub and rub dirt goes down the drain HEY!
Please Keep Your Child Home if They Are Sick with the Flu:
Signs of flu are: fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater with a cough and/or sore throat.
Keep them home for at least 24 hours after they are fever free (without the use of fever reducing medications).
Please notify me as soon as possible if your child is being kept home because of flu so I can watch for signs of illness in the other children.
“Day care settings present unique challenges for influenza prevention due to the highly vulnerable population, close contact, shared toys and other objects, and limited ability of young children to understand or practice good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. Even under the best of circumstances, transmission of infectious diseases such as flu cannot be completely prevented in early childhood or other settings. No policy can keep everyone who is potentially infectious out of these settings” –Centers for Disease Control
I’ll be doing all I can to maintain a healthy child care program. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Aloha, Angelica Friedmann Ka Hana Pono Daycare Director, Lead Teacher