Cchp health and safety checklist

Health and Safety Project

The Health and Safety Project addresses the following Student Learner Outcome (SLO) for this course: “Analyze early childhood environments to identify health and safety risks in children's programs and propose appropriate solutions.”

For the Health and Safety Project you will visit a Preschool/Child Development Center to complete a safety checklist by observing the indoor and outdoor environments for health and safety; and you will interview a representative of the preschool/center about health and safety issues at their preschool/center.

For this project:

A. Call a preschool/center to arrange a time to visit where you can meet with a representative of the school who would have information on health and safety procedures and policies (office staff, teacher, assistant, aide, director, volunteer) to interview him/her. The interview should take 10 to 15 minutes.

Also, inquire about the procedures for observing for the purpose of completing a Health and Safety Checklist.

MiraCosta Child Development Center has observation booths for observing. You just need to sign in to use them. For the interview you will need to call to arrange an appointment (760-795- 6656),or, email Linda Haar ( lhaar@miracosta.edu). See MiraCosta Child Development Procedures attached to this assignment (pages 5&6).

You may choose any Preschool/Child Development Center but the MiraCosta Child Development Center is an excellent environment to observe and learn.

B. Visit the Preschool/Child Development Center at your appointed time and do the following:

1) Observe the indoor and outdoor environments and complete the Health and Safety Checklist:

· Use the following Health and Safety Checklist: “CCHP Health and Safety Checklist”

http://www.ucsfchildcarehealth.org/pdfs/Checklists/UCSF_Checklist_rev2.0802.pdf

· Copy and paste the URL into your Web Browser (it may not work from this Word doc – Safari does not open links from Word docs so use Chrome or Firefox). The links are also found in “Resources and Links” on the Main Menu of the course with the link to the web page and a direct link to the PDF document.

· Download the “CCHP Health and Safety Checklist” and print it out to take with you to your observation and interview

· Read over the checklist; and read appropriate chapters and resources before you observe. They will help guide your observation of indoor and outdoor safety; and health and safety polices.

· Use the “CCHP Health and Safety Checklist “and observe the indoor and outdoor environments. (Disregard the Infant/Toddler pages (pages 6, 7) if you are not observing a room with infants and toddlers).

· Check off which box is appropriate for each standard: Completely Meets the Standard “C;” Does Not Completely Meet the Standard “NC;” or is Not Applicable “NA.” If you do not see one of the standards (such as how medicines are kept) check “NA.” Write notes in the side column to help you write out your report such as: why you don’t think it completely meets the standard or an aspect you observed that you liked.

· While you are observing, you are representing MiraCosta College. Use professional manners such as dressing professionally; cell phones turned off; not eating or drinking while observing, etc. All you will need to take into the center is the checklist, questions for the interview and a notebook and pen.

· Since you are observing you will not interact with the children at the center. If a child approaches you, be friendly, but direct them back to their teacher or parent. Be as unobtrusive as possible. Your role is a “fly on the wall”. This assignment is not about informing parents or caregivers about what you observed or on health and safety, but just to collect the information.

· Make sure to thank the teachers and/or director of the school for letting you observe and for the interview.

2) Interview a representative from the Preschool/Center who would have information on health and safety procedures and policies (office staff, teacher, assistant, aide, director, volunteer) and ask the following questions (Interview questions to print out are attached to this assignment – see page 4):

1. What elements of your program’s physical environment promote healthy habits (e.g., hand washing, tooth brushing, sanitation)?

2. How have you provided time in the daily schedule to support health habits? 


3. What disease-prevention skills have you been able to effectively help children learn by modeling each day? 


4. What elements of your program’s physical setting have you modified to create a safer environment in which children can freely explore and learn? 


5. What are three safety rules you have consistently modeled and promoted in all environments (e.g., classroom, hallway, playground)? 


6. How do you effectively supervise children while being actively engaged in their play? 


7. How do you share information about children’s safety with all families? 


8. What are some examples of program policies and procedures that are in place for health and safety? 


3) Take pictures - must ask permission first and find out what the policy is - of anything related to Health and Safety and Nutrition that you feel is appropriate for your report such as a Bulletin Board for parents with Health or Safety related material, or, an Emergency Procedure Poster, or, a posted menu…, or a padded playground mat under a play structure… If the policy does not allow you to take pictures collect any health and safety handouts they have for parents or a brochure of the center/preschool and include a picture/scan of one.

C. Use the following format to write your Health and Safety Report. Include the question numbers and the questions:

1) Your Name:

2) Name of Preschool/Center:

3) Phone number of the Preschool/Center:

4) Name of person you interviewed:

5) Date of Observation and Interview:

6) Observation of Indoor Environment: Review your checklist and write a short summary of the indoor environment. Include what risks you observed, what was good and what could be improved.

7) Observation of Outdoor Environment: Review your checklist and write a short summary of the outside environment. Identify the features of the playground area or equipment that could be a risk. How would you use S.A. F.E. concepts to improve those conditions? What did you like about the outdoor space and what could be improved?

8) Interview: Write your interview here by writing the question number, the question and the responses to each question.

9) Conclusion: Discuss your opinions about what you saw, or suggestions you have. Were you surprised by anything you observed? In what way? What did you learn from the experience?

10) Include pictures, if you were allowed to take them, where you feel they fit ( a picture of a Parent Bulletin Board on Safety with the response to question #7, or a picture of a padded outdoor mat with your summary on the outdoor environment), or include a picture/scan of one of the handouts or brochures you collected to enhance your report

Interview Questions for Health and Safety Project

1. What elements of your program’s physical environment promote healthy habits (e.g., hand washing, tooth brushing, sanitation)?

2. How have you provided time in the daily schedule to support health habits? 


3. What disease-prevention skills have you been able to effectively help children learn by modeling each day? 


4. What elements of your program’s physical setting have you modified to create a safer environment in which children can freely explore and learn? 


5. What are three safety rules you have consistently modeled and promoted in all environments (e.g., classroom, hallway, playground)? 


6. How do you effectively supervise children while being actively engaged in their play? 


7. How do you share information about children’s safety with all families? 


8. What are some examples of program policies and procedures that are in place for health and safety? 


The Child Development Center at MiraCosta College

Guidelines and Procedures for Student Participation Activities at the Center

Welcome to the Child Development Center! In an effort to make your visit to the Center as positive and effortless as possible, we have the following guidelines. Please follow the procedures below for the type of visit you are requesting. For all visits, it is important for students to understand that the safety and well-being of the children comes first. While at the Center, all students will be expected to display professional, courteous and ethical behavior at all times. Ethical behavior requires confidentiality be maintained. Therefore, discussions about children should take place only in class and/or with your professors, not here at the Center or outside the classroom. All written materials regarding children must be protected so as not to accidentally or purposefully disclose information about families or children. Use only first names of children, birth month and year. You can refer to the staff in the Center as “teacher” in your observation. Pictures, recordings or use of any electronic devices, including cell phones, are not allowed at the Center. Our Center is a nut free zone; please do not bring any food items that contain nuts into the Center. There is no eating or drinking in the observation booths. If you have any questions, please see someone at the front desk; do not disturb the classroom teachers. It is important to understand that the Center is a lab school in which students are hired as apprentices to obtain hands on practice working with young children. Apprentices are carefully selected, but it is important to understand they are in the process of learning “best practices” working with young children, and therefore, some of your observations may not reflect best practice at the time you are observing.

Staff Interviews: 


· If you need to interview an Instructional Specialist (teacher) or the Director, please call 760-795- 6656 and leave your name, phone number and whether you need a teacher or the director to call you back to schedule a time for the interview, or, email Linda Haar at lhaar@miracosta.edu for your interview request. Interviews will not be given without an appointment. 


· When you arrive for your appointment, you will need to sign in at the front desk and get a visitor badge. If you sign in electronically, you will need your student ID number. Then ask the person at the front desk to direct you to the person you have scheduled an interview with. 


Observations: 


Appointments are not necessary for an observation. The Center is open 7:30 AM -4:45 PM. Observations can be conducted anytime during these hours, except between 11:45 am to 2:30 pm. If you want to observe children while they are on the playground the playground hours are generally 8:30am - 11:30am, and, 3:00pm -4:30pm. You will be able to go out to the playground as well as observing the indoor environment from the observation booths.

When you arrive, you need to come to the front desk to sign in either in the notebook or electronically. You will need to know your student ID number. 


After signing in, take an observer badge from the basket, so staff knows that you have checked in. 


Precede to one of the three (3) observation booths. (1) to view toddlers in room 1, (2) to view toddlers in room 2 or preschoolers in room 5, (3) to view preschoolers in rooms 3 or 4. Observers may go into the classroom or outside if needed. But remember, it is important not to disrupt the class. 


Return your observer badge and check out upon completing your observation.