Health Policies & Procedures

First-aid procedures

  • Red Cross first-aid and poison center guidelines will be followed.
  • The provider has been certified by the American Red Cross in First Aid and CPR for Infants, Children and Adults.
  • A first-aid kit and manual will be on the premises at all times.
  • Emergency numbers are available at all times.
  • Parents/guardians will be notified of accidents and an injury record is kept for each child.
  • Indoor and Playground Safety Checklists are completed daily, weekly and seasonally.

Medical emergencies

  • Immediate first-aid will be given.
  • The ambulance will be called and paramedic recommendations followed.
  • Parents/guardians will be notified as soon as possible.
  • When parents/guardians are not available, the emergency contact will be called.
  • Parents/guardians are responsible for any expenses as a result of emergency room care, ambulance, etc.
  • The hospital used for emergencies is Redington-Fairview General Hospital.

Illness
Symptoms requiring removal of a child from the facility:

  • Fever—AND sore throat, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, earache, irritability, or confusion.  Fever is defined as having a temperature of 100ºF.
  • Diarrhea—runny, watery, or bloody stools
  • Vomiting
  • Body rash with fever
  • Sore throat with fever and swollen glands
  • Severe coughing—child gets red or blue in the face or makes high-pitched whooping sound after coughing
  • Eye discharge—thick mucus or pus draining from the eye, or pink eye
  • Yellowish skin or eyes
  • Live lice or nits
  • Child is irritable, continuously crying, or requires more attention than the staff can give without compromising the health and safety of other children in child care.

If your child becomes ill during the day, you will be notified and expected to pick your child up as soon as possible.

If your child will be absent from child care due to illness, please notify child care by phone or text the previous evening or the morning of the day of absence.  The child may return to care when they have been symptom free for 24 hours without the use of medication.

Health records

  • Immunization records and the date of your child’s last physical examination must be kept up to date.
  • Please notify child care of any special health problems or concerns regarding your child or family.

Communicable disease prevention and reporting

  • Your child must be current in his/her immunizations.  Bouncing Bubbles must maintain a current record of your child’s immunizations.
  • Your child will be kept isolated from other children as much as possible if suspected that your child has a communicable disease.  Communicable diseases will be reported to the Maine Center for Disease Control.
  • Each child will be observed daily for illness.
  • Individual bedding, glasses, etc., will be used to minimize the spread of infection.

Hand washing, diapering, sanitizing, and laundering policies

  • The provider will wash her hands before and after diapering, toileting, eating, handling and preparing food, handling contaminated materials and before and after administering medication.
  • All children will wash their hands before and after eating, after each diaper change or toileting, before and after handling food and before and after medication administration.
  • Diapers will be changed regularly and immediately after a bowel movement.  Bottoms will be thoroughly cleaned with baby wipes.   Other types of preparations (ointments, powders, etc.) must be provided by parents/guardians.
  • The diapering area will be sanitized after each use, and contaminated utensils/toys will be sanitized.
  • Bedding will be laundered as needed or once a week.
  • Bottles and nipples will be washed in the dishwasher and rinsed again with hot water before filling.
  • Specific Cleaning/Sanitizing/Disinfecting checklists are used daily and weekly in the Child Care Area, Food Prep Area, Toileting and Diapering Area and Sleeping Area

Management of medication

  • Must have the first and last name of the child on the container.
  • Must have been prescribed by a licensed health professional.  Name and phone number of the health professional who ordered the medication must be on the container.
  • Must be in the original package or container.
  • Must have an expiration date on the container.
  • Must have the date the prescription was filled on the container.
  • Must have specific instruction for giving, storing and disposing of the medication.
  • Must be in a child-proof container.
  • Must have a signed and completed Medication Authorization form for each medication to be given.
  • Must have a signed and completed Medication Authorization form for any nonprescription medications to be given.
  • Medication is stored in a locked box at childcare.

Incident Reporting
When a serious incident involves a child in this family childcare, an incident report is made.  The information is provided to the parent/guardian, licensing board and insurance company.  The purpose of this report is to inform and follow up on actions taken concerning the incident.  Incident reports are made for the following incidents:

  • Injuries involving serious accidents, falls (2’ or more) or motor vehicles
  • Unexpected illness, contagious disease
  • Poisoning or medication error
  • Aggressive or unusual behavior
  • Child death

Food Allergies
Each child with a food allergy will have a Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan prepared by the child’s primary care provider.  Parents/guardians will provide necessary medications.

Bouncing Bubbles will take steps to prevent exposure to the specific food(s) to which the child is allergic, learn to recognize the symptoms of an allergic reactions and become knowledgeable in treating the allergic reactions.  Should an allergic reaction occur, we will promptly and properly administer the prescribed medication and notify the parents/guardians immediately.

Parents/guardians will also be notified if exposure to the allergen is suspected.

Individual child’s food allergies will be posted in the kitchen.

A copy of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan will be included in the Emergency Preparedness bag.

Oral Health
We care about the health of children’s teeth. To help children stay happy and healthy, and avoid the discomfort and expense of tooth decay, Bouncing Bubbles follows the practices below.  Children should have their first visit with the dentist when they get their first tooth or by one year of age.
Tooth Brushing with Fluoride Toothpaste

  • We provide small, soft-bristled toothbrushes for use during daily tooth brushing.  We rinse, store, and replace them as needed to make sure they are sanitary.
  • With family permission, we provide children an age-appropriate amount of ADA-approved fluoride toothpaste.  For children under three years of age, that is a rice-sized smear.  For children three and older, that is a pea-sized drop.
  • For infants with teeth, the provider brushes their teeth once a day.  Children three years of age and older brush their own teeth once a day with adult supervision.
  • We strive to make tooth brushing fun by singing, praising children, and staying positive and enthusiastic.  We encourage families to do the same at home.

Foods and Drinks to Support Oral Health

  • Infants and toddlers are never put to sleep with bottles or sippy cups as this can cause tooth decay.  We work with families to find other ways to comfort young children before naptime.
  • Infants and toddlers are not allowed to walk around with bottles or sippy cups during playtime so they don’t fall and hurt their teeth.

Oral Health Education & Professional Development

  • We offer preschool children oral health lessons one time per month and we take advantage of “teachable moments” when we can.
  • We offer families educational materials on oral health twice a year and try to communicate one-on-one when we notice changes in children’s oral health.
  • We seek professional development in oral health twice a year.

Child Abuse & Neglect

The Maine Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) operates the statewide hotline for child abuse and neglect.  Highly trained staff is available to guide callers through the process of making a report of suspected abuse and/or neglect.  Anyone who suspects an individual of child abuse or neglect is encouraged to call the Protective Hotline.

CALL:  1-800-452-1999

Deaf/Hard of Hearing call Maine Relay 711

As Mandated Reporters, any provider suspecting abuse or neglect must immediately report this information to Child Protective Intake Services, 1-800-452-1999, TTY 1-800-963-9490 which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

An Incident Report, including the details of the allegation or suspicion, the date Child Protective Intake was called, and whether or not the parent/legal guardian was notified of the allegation must be completed by the provider.  If the parent/legal guardian is notified of the allegation, the provider will determine how and what information will be shared, depending on the circumstances, and this will be indicated on the Incident Report.

Any report of child abuse and/or neglect against the provider will be made available to families enrolled and all requirements from OCFS will be fulfilled.

 

Other

  • Smoking is never allowed on the premises during child care hours.
  • Toys from home should not be brought to childcare for safety reasons.  Bouncing Bubbles is not responsible for lost or broken personal items.
  • Shoes and boots that are worn outside must be removed upon entering the child care home.
  • Smoke detectors are located in the kitchen/living room, playroom, laundry room, each bedroom and the basement.  A carbon monoxide detector is located in the playroom.
  • Alcohol and medication are located in areas inaccessible to children.