Keeping children healthy is an important consideration for everyone in child care. To help prevent the spread of germs, it is important to practice effective hand washing frequently throughout the day. Hands should be washed before and after meals or preparing food, after wiping noses, after bathroom and diapering, after playing outdoors, and after petting an animal.
Keeping the environment clean will also help reduce the spread of germs. Toys and surfaces need to be washed and disinfected regularly, and more frequently when a child has a cold.
Being sure all children are fully immunized can also help reduce germs. Create rules for excluding sick children from child care, and follow them carefully. Being sure children do not come to child care when they are sick will greatly decrease the risk of spreading diseases.
For more information on keeping children healthy, see the Better Kid Care America page on preventing illness in child care.
