Managing sick children Policy
Aim:
To ensure all children are managed appropriately if unwell until their parent or emergency contact person is able to collect them.
Explanation:
In the interests of an unwell child it is important that they receive parental/medical attention as soon as possible. For the benefit of all children attending the Centre and to avoid cross infection the removal of a sick child is essential.
Legislative Responsibility:
85 Incident, injury, trauma and illness policies and procedures
The incident, injury, trauma and illness policies and procedures of an education and care service required under regulation 168 must include procedures to be followed by nominated supervisors and staff members of, and volunteers at, the service in the event that a child--
(a) is injured; or
(b) becomes ill; or
(c) suffers a trauma.
86 Notification to parents of incident, injury, trauma and illness
The approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that a parent of a child being educated and cared for by the service is notified as soon as practicable, but not later than 24 hours after the occurrence, if the child is involved in any incident, injury, trauma or illness while the child is being educated and cared for by the education and care service. Penalty: $2000.
87 Incident, injury, trauma and illness record
(1) The approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that an incident, injury, trauma and illness record is kept in accordance with this regulation.
(2) A family day care educator must keep an incident, injury, trauma and illness record in accordance with this regulation.
(3) The incident, injury, trauma and illness record must include--
(a) details of any incident in relation to a child or injury received by a child or trauma to which a child has been subjected while being educated and cared for by the education and care service or the family day care educator, including--
(i) the name and age of the child; and
(ii) the circumstances leading to the incident, injury or trauma; and
(iii) the time and date the incident occurred, the injury was received or the child was subjected to the trauma;
(b) details of any illness which becomes apparent while the child is being educated and cared for by the education and care service or the family day care educator including--
(i) the name and age of the child; and
(ii) the relevant circumstances surrounding the child becoming ill and any apparent symptoms; and
(iii) the time and date of the apparent onset of the illness;
(c) details of the action taken by the education and care service or family day care educator in relation to any incident, injury, trauma or illness which a child has suffered while being educated and cared for by the education and care service or family day care educator, including--
(i) any medication administered or first aid provided; and
(ii) any medical personnel contacted;
(d) details of any person who witnessed the incident, injury or trauma;
(e) the name of any person--
(i) whom the education and care service notified or attempted to notify, of any incident, injury, trauma or illness which a child has suffered while being educated and cared for by the education and care service or family day care educator; and
(ii) the time and date of the notifications or attempted notifications;
(f) the name and signature of the person making an entry in the record, and the time and date that the entry was made.
(4) The information referred to in subregulation (3) must be included in the incident, injury, trauma and illness record as soon as practicable, but not later than 24 hours after the incident, injury or trauma, or the onset of the illness.
Implementation:
Reviewed and agreed upon by all staff October 2023
Sourced from “Staying Healthy in Childcare 5th edition 2012”
www.raisingchildrennetwork.com.au
Education and Care Services National Regulation 2011 www.legislation.nsw.gov.au 01/07/2023
“Heritage Early Childhood Centre” Illness policy 2008
To ensure all children are managed appropriately if unwell until their parent or emergency contact person is able to collect them.
Explanation:
In the interests of an unwell child it is important that they receive parental/medical attention as soon as possible. For the benefit of all children attending the Centre and to avoid cross infection the removal of a sick child is essential.
Legislative Responsibility:
85 Incident, injury, trauma and illness policies and procedures
The incident, injury, trauma and illness policies and procedures of an education and care service required under regulation 168 must include procedures to be followed by nominated supervisors and staff members of, and volunteers at, the service in the event that a child--
(a) is injured; or
(b) becomes ill; or
(c) suffers a trauma.
86 Notification to parents of incident, injury, trauma and illness
The approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that a parent of a child being educated and cared for by the service is notified as soon as practicable, but not later than 24 hours after the occurrence, if the child is involved in any incident, injury, trauma or illness while the child is being educated and cared for by the education and care service. Penalty: $2000.
87 Incident, injury, trauma and illness record
(1) The approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that an incident, injury, trauma and illness record is kept in accordance with this regulation.
(2) A family day care educator must keep an incident, injury, trauma and illness record in accordance with this regulation.
(3) The incident, injury, trauma and illness record must include--
(a) details of any incident in relation to a child or injury received by a child or trauma to which a child has been subjected while being educated and cared for by the education and care service or the family day care educator, including--
(i) the name and age of the child; and
(ii) the circumstances leading to the incident, injury or trauma; and
(iii) the time and date the incident occurred, the injury was received or the child was subjected to the trauma;
(b) details of any illness which becomes apparent while the child is being educated and cared for by the education and care service or the family day care educator including--
(i) the name and age of the child; and
(ii) the relevant circumstances surrounding the child becoming ill and any apparent symptoms; and
(iii) the time and date of the apparent onset of the illness;
(c) details of the action taken by the education and care service or family day care educator in relation to any incident, injury, trauma or illness which a child has suffered while being educated and cared for by the education and care service or family day care educator, including--
(i) any medication administered or first aid provided; and
(ii) any medical personnel contacted;
(d) details of any person who witnessed the incident, injury or trauma;
(e) the name of any person--
(i) whom the education and care service notified or attempted to notify, of any incident, injury, trauma or illness which a child has suffered while being educated and cared for by the education and care service or family day care educator; and
(ii) the time and date of the notifications or attempted notifications;
(f) the name and signature of the person making an entry in the record, and the time and date that the entry was made.
(4) The information referred to in subregulation (3) must be included in the incident, injury, trauma and illness record as soon as practicable, but not later than 24 hours after the incident, injury or trauma, or the onset of the illness.
Implementation:
- Contact the parent/guardian of the sick child
- If the parent/guardian is unavailable, contact the emergency persons listed on the child’s enrolment form
- Make the child comfortable and isolate from other children if practical
- Check child’s temperature using the digital thermometer and record in temperature record book
- Administer first aid in consultation with management
- Child is monitored by educators
- Parents will be notified that their child’s temperature is above 37.5 C
- Parents do not need to collect at this time, but are informed that if their child reaches 38.5 C or higher, 24 hour exclusion will apply, as outlined (In the case of high fever: 38.5 C or higher) below
- If parents give verbal consent to two educators for administration of paracetamol, the child will need to be collected within half an hour
- In the case of high fever: 38.5 C or higher
- Attempt to reduce the child’s temperature by removing clothing and sponging the child with a washer
- If the parent/emergency person is available, obtain verbal consent for administration of paracetamol (in addition to any prior consent given at enrolment)
- Ensure the child is offered frequent amounts of cool water
- Notify parent of child’s temperature of 38.5 C or higher and that the child MUST be collected within half an hour
- In this instance, a child will not be permitted to return to “Blooming Kids” for a further 24 hours without the written consent of a suitably qualified medical practitioner stating that the child is fit for attendance.
- Complete a Child Illness Record
- If paracetamol is to be administered, follow procedure outlined on bottle for ‘Administration of Medication’ and fill in the Child’s Medication Form
- An educator will monitor the child until they have been collected by a parent or emergency contact
- When children vomit or have loose bowel movements, parents will be asked to collect ASAP with 24hour exclusion from last vomit or loose motion.
- If a child has been sent home from the centre it will be management’s discretion for the child to return to “Blooming Kids” the following day
Reviewed and agreed upon by all staff October 2023
Sourced from “Staying Healthy in Childcare 5th edition 2012”
www.raisingchildrennetwork.com.au
Education and Care Services National Regulation 2011 www.legislation.nsw.gov.au 01/07/2023
“Heritage Early Childhood Centre” Illness policy 2008