Chapter Eight: Promoting Good Health
for Children
Health Policies
Help manage risk to good physical and mental health
Should be developed and directed for children and staff
Promote healthy practices Lay the foundation for child care
health
Designing a Health Policy
Establish a process (What process will be followed?)
Assign responsibility (Who is responsible for making sure process is followed?)
Offer guidance for action (What needs to be done? Are there any time parameters for limitations?)
Providing High Quality Child Care
Goal One Maximizing health status of children
Goal Two Minimizing risk to health, safety, and well-being of children
Goal Three Using education as a tool to promote health and reduce risk
Goal Four Recognizing the importance of guidelines
Children’s Health Records
Include Health history and updates Immunization records Injury reports Assessment and screening results
Medication log and permission Health communication history Reports of illness in care Growth chart
Staff Health
Health History includes Name, etc. and physician’s name Pre-employment exam Immunization records TB test results Hearing and vision screening
Maintaining Staff Health
Exposure to infectious diseases Stress Risk for back injury Potential exposure to environmental
hazards
Providing a Mentally Healthy Environment
Check to make sure that your care Establishes a good relationship with
parents Respect and mutual communication
Responds with consistency, predictability, and regularity
Establishes daily routine = security Provides support and emotional
assurance for child Attention Affection Respect Mutual communication
Helps children to express and identify emotions
Redirects anger and aggression through play and discussion
Provides quiet area so child can be away from stimulation
Values each child’s uniqueness, including culture
Promotes responsive caregiving Is flexible and reasonable in
expectations
Promoting Good Health
Health Policies Help manage risk to good physical and
mental health Should be developed and directed for
children and staff Promote healthy practices Lay the foundation for child care health
Designing a Health Policy
Health Policies Establish a process (What process
will be followed?) Assign responsibility (Who is
responsible for making sure process is followed?)
Offer guidance for action (What needs to be done? Are there any time parameters for limitations?)
Implications for Caregivers
Role Modeling Exhibits knowledge and practice of healthy
behavior Cultural Sensitivity Education
Reality Check:The Resilient Child
Vulnerable child Genetic abnormalities Malnutrition Preterm birth Prenatal stress Drug exposure Temperament
Have more difficulty adapting Parent may have more difficult time
coping and attaching Insecurely attached children may be
more vulnerable due to Poverty Abandonment Chaotic living environment
Resilient child Often first born Securely attached Has high intelligence level
More likely to form close relationships that are trusting
Have positive qualities from both sexes
Outgoing Autonomous Nurturing Emotionally sensitive
Caregiver’s Role
Vulnerable child Extra support Responsive and stimulating care
Resilient child Secure attachment “Cheerleader” support
Reality Check:Secondhand Smoke
Can lead to Respiratory diseases (asthma,
pneumonia, bronchitis, and allergies) Middle-ear infections SIDS Vitamin C deficiency Behavioral problems