Encouraging the natural curiosity of young children while keeping them safe
is the central challenge of care giving. Children develop rapidly in size, strength,
mobility and level of curiosity. Their abilities and skills change daily. When you care for
children, you must provide safe and interesting experiences for each of them. Activities that
match each child’s changing skill and interest are the best choices to maintain child safety.
It’s your role to provide a safe haven in which children can grow and learn
by exploring their environment and the objects around them. To help you prepare
your program for children, know and follow
the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Regulations,
assess the environment, plan ahead and provide competent supervision.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these strategies and see how using them will make
your program safer. The first strategy is to know and follow the Regulations. Regulations
establish the floor for safety. They also assist you in identifying and correcting
common hazards. Throughout this training, you’ll be learning how to work with these regulations.
The second strategy for safety is to assess the environment and then to reassess it frequently.
Children see the world from a different perspective. Get down on your hands and knees.
Scan the room and its contents from a child’s point of view.
What are the most interesting and attractive things you see?
You can bet a child will be attracted to those same things.
A crawling baby will discover a thumbtack that has fallen under a bulletin board.
A beginning walker will grab whatever is nearby for balance.
Two-year-olds love to climb and a book shelf looks just like a ladder. And what 3-year-old can
resist exploring in a cupboard? If you discover hazards, make adjustments now to avoid accidents.
A one-time assessment is never enough. Children’s abilities change rapidly and what may have been
safe last week may not be safe today. When there’s a mismatch between a child’s abilities and
the environment, accidents are likely to happen. Wouldn’t it be great if everything in your program
stayed right where you put it? Realistically, that’s never going to happen. Your program is a
living environment. Children, their families or other people may inadvertently create a hazard
or disturb safeguards you’ve put into place. Check your environment on a daily basis and
routinely throughout the day. The next strategy is to plan ahead.
Most injuries occur when you’re distracted. The phone may ring. A child may need to use the
bathroom during outside play or a parent may ask to talk with you at pick-up time. How will
you handle these situations and be sure the children are safe and supervised? Plan ahead,
anticipate these events and be ready to respond. The number one thing you can do to keep children
safe is to provide competent supervision. Childproofing is never enough. You
must be attentive and careful because the children need you, the adult,
to keep them safe.
Active young children will crawl or climb onto anything available. This is why the placement of furniture
is important. Make sure furniture is placed away from windows and other attractive hazards.
You might think that all toys, art materials and other supplies made for children would be safe for
children. Be sure to check all materials and play equipment used by the children to make sure they
are sturdy and free from sharp or rough edges. Check art materials to make sure they conform to
the American Society of Testing and Materials or (ASTM) standard. Your equipment doesn’t have to
be brand new. But older equipment can sometimes be hazardous. Use high chairs that have a wide,
stable base and a safety strap that goes around the child’s waist and another strap that goes
between the legs. The slats on cribs must be 2 and 3/8 inches apart or closer and use only
pack-and-plays with tiny mesh openings. Cords on blinds and draperies need to be secured as
well. Simple cord safety devices are available that help remove this hazard. Routinely examine
children’s toys for small pieces. A simple test is to use a choke tube. You can buy one in a
local department store or use a toilet paper tube. Place the toy or small object in question in the
tube. If the toy falls through the tube, like this, it poses a choking hazard to
small children. Children are curious and love to see what treasures they can find. Backpacks
and handbags often contain harmful objects. Be sure to teach everyone to put backpacks
or handbags out children’s reach.
Smoking is prohibited in the areas used by children. Cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays and other smoking materials
can present health risks and need to
be kept out of reach. Houseplants are beautiful, but did you know
that some plants can be harmful to children? Substitute safe plants for the hazardous
ones. Accidental poisoning creates another danger. According to the American Association
of Poison Control Centers, more than 1 million children each year are exposed to
potentially poisonous medicines and household chemicals. You may be surprised just how many
toxic products can be found in and around your program. Cleaning supplies and other chemicals
must always be stored out of children’s reach. Locking cabinets will provide an added degree
of safety. You’ll need a working telephone in your program. Post emergency numbers next to
all telephones. That way it’s easy to glance at the list and call for assistance quickly.
Young children will love to help you prepare meals. But kitchens can be filled with hazards.
Provide opportunities for them to measure, mix and stir. Just to be safe, move pots to
the back burner, turn pan handles in on the stove and use a stove guard.
I enjoy a hot cup of tea every morning. But hot liquids and young children don’t mix.
Have your tea before children arrive to prevent the risk of them
being burned. Stairs pose a hazard especially for active
toddlers. Safety gates are available that when used properly, restrict them from unsafe areas.
Never use an accordion-style gate. The openings present a strangling risk.
Door locks and locking devices are intriguing to children. When preparing your program to
provide care you need to check all the doors. If a door has a lock on the inside, you must be
able to unlock it from the outside; otherwise, the lock should be
removed and the handset replaced. Blocked doorways can prevent you from
getting out in an emergency. Be sure to keep all entrances and exits to your program clear.
As you prepare your program environment, watch for signs of chipped paint. Paint chips,
especially those that contain lead, pose a serious risk to children.
During the winter months make sure all snow is cleared away to make entering
and exiting your program safe. Did you know that a child can
drown in less than an inch of water? Because infants and toddlers are top heavy,
be sure to keep the toilet seat lid down after each use.
Toilet seat locks offer an added degree of protection.
Anything that contains water poses a serious risk to a young child.
So be diligent about what to watch for and how to correct unsafe situations wherever you find them.
Hot water can seriously burn a child. A temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit
or less is recommended so that children don’t get burned while washing their hands.
Check the temperature of your water heater and turn it down, if necessary. If you don’t
have access to the water heater, be sure to speak with the person who does and check to
make sure the temperature has been adjusted. Water and electricity don't mix. Unplug all
electrical appliances and place them out of children’s reach.
You can help prevent
accidents and injuries by observing them and anticipating potential safety problems.
Part of your job is to teach children about safety as they grow. Young children
don’t understand dangerous situations and cannot predict the results of their actions.
You, as the adult, must provide guidance and a safe environment.
The children in your care can never be responsible for maintaining their own safety. The sooner they
learn the basics of safety, the more naturally they will develop the attitudes that lead to
lifelong patterns of safe behavior. You can begin teaching the basics informally,
as soon as they understand the meaning of certain words such as “Hot!” or “Stop!”
Teach children about safety by providing learning experiences
and by modeling safe behaviors. Take advantage of teachable moments
by making suggestions for safer alternatives.
Use information from your observations to make sure that there’s a
good match between each child’s abilities and their choice of activities or experiences.
A safe environment and providing competent supervision are the best ways to protect them and keep them safe.