Hygiene and Sanitation: Why Should Child Care Centres Focus On This?

March 27, 2017

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When your child enters a child care centre they are often exposed to more germs and bacteria than when kept at home. And while exposure to these types of things can certainly be beneficial to build up a good immunity, it is still within the best interest of everyone involved to keep things as sanitized as possible. A dirty facility can lead to serious illness or injury - something that, as parents, you want to avoid whenever possible.

If your child is going to a child care facility they are probably going to be eating there. As a parent, you have the right to tour the facility and the kitchen and eating areas. Ask about the procedures used when making food. Are the fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly rinsed? What about the prep space? As for the hot food, are the ovens in good working order? Are the coolers? Look at the storage areas within the kitchen. Is it well organised? Are the items labeled and dated?

Look at the rest of the facility - while some clutter and disarray is normal during the day, is it cleaned up on a regular basis? Are hard surfaces such as tables, chairs, counters, and floors disinfected regularly? What about the toys? Does each classroom have plenty of wipes to disinfect surfaces? Is there a ready supply of hand sanitizer? Is regular hand-washing encouraged?

If a child does get sick at the centre, what is the protocol for that? Is there an area they can go to that is away from the rest of the children? One of the ways to keep sickness from spreading is to avoid contact with people who are exhibiting symptoms.

Another area to look at is the bathrooms. Are they easily accessible to small children? Does the staff ensure the children wash their hands after using the facilities? Is it well-lit and ventilated properly?

Looking at the protocols and processes regarding hygiene and sanitation should be an important consideration. It is a known fact that decreasing germs and bacteria also decreases the risk of illness. And while not every illness can be prevented it certainly makes sense to lower the risk by keeping things sanitised.

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