CHILD CARE HOME: DISEASE PREVENTION
Elaine Wilson
Parenting Specialist
Oklahoma State University
Adapted from Phillips, E. (Ed.) 1971. Essentials for Child Development
Associates Working With Young Children. The Council for Early
Childhood Recognition. Washington, D.C.
Copyright/Access Information
It is extremely important that you keep your child care home healthy.
Here are two simple habits you can develop in just a few weeks.
These practices are your best way to prevent the spread of diseases.
They are washing your hands and using a bleach solution to disinfect.
Cut out these directions or photocopy them onto brightly colored
paper or card stock. Cover them with clear adhesive paper and
put them near your sinks and tables where food is served and near
your diaper changing table. Remember to wash your hands before
you serve food and after you change a child's diaper, use the
toilet yourself or assist a child using the toilet, wipe a child's
nose, or clean up vomit or mucus. Teach children to wash their
hands properly before eating or serving food and after using the
toilet or wiping their noses.
HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS
Use soap and running water. Rub your hands vigorously. Wash
thoroughly the backs of your hands, wrists, between fingers, and
under fingernails. Rinse your hands well and dry them with a paper
towel. Turn off the water using a paper towel, not your clean
hands. You may want to keep hand lotion handy to help keep your
skin from drying out.
HOW TO MIX BLEACH SOLUTION
The recipe for disinfectant is one tablespoon of bleach to
one quart of water (or 1/4 of bleach to one gallon of water).
Mix the solution fresh each day because chlorine evaporates. Dispense
from a spray bottle that you keep out of reach of children.
Keep spray bottles of bleach solution near
- diapering areas
- tables
- play areas
Clean tables before and after serving food.
Wash your hands before handling food and after toileting or
wiping noses.
Always disinfect after spills of body fluids
- blood
- urine
- vomit
- feces
Clean diaper areas after each change.
Be a role model! Teach children
how and when to wash their hands.
HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS
- Use soap and running water and rub your hands vigorously.
- Wash thoroughly the backs of your hands, wrists, between
fingers, and under fingernails.
- Rinse your hands well and dry them with a paper towel.
- Turn off the water using a paper towel, not your clean hands.
- You may want to keep hand lotion handy to help keep your
skin from drying out.
- Help children learn the proper way to wash their hands, too.
HOW TO MIX BLEACH SOLUTION
- Add one tablespoon of bleach to one quart of water (1/4 cup
of bleach per one gallon of water).
- Mix a fresh solution each day.
- Use it to clean and sanitize items and surfaces.
- Dispense from a spray bottle that you keep out of reach of
children.
DOCUMENT
USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the
National Extension Service
Children Youth and Family Educational Research Network. Permission
is granted to reproduce
these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only
(not for profit beyond the cost of
reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment
and this notice is
included:
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child
Care - NNCC. Wilson, E. & Burns, M. (1993). Disease prevention
(HBB7-7). In Child care home. Stillwater, OK: Oklahoma
State University Cooperative Extension Service.
Any additions or changes to these materials must be preapproved
by the author .
COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
Elaine Wilson
Parenting Specialist
233 HES
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74074-6111
Phone: 405-744-6231
Fax: 405-744-7113
Email: emwilson@okway.okstate.edu
AVAILABLE FROM
Oklahoma State Universtiy
Central Mailing Services
115 University Printing
Stillwater, OK 74078-7001
FORMAT AVAILABLE: :: Series - In Print -
58 pages
DOCUMENT REVIEW: Level
2 - Oklahoma State University Extension
DOCUMENT SIZE:: 5K or 2 pages
ENTRY DATE:: December 1996