Health & Safety Procedures
Health & safety are always our top priorities at Cowlicks & Pigtails.
Here's some general information about some of our health & safety procedures!
Sanitation and Disinfection
Hand Washing
Hand washing is performed at various times of the day!
We encourage families to make it part of their morning drop off routine to wash their hands with their child, as all staff and children are required to wash hands upon arrival.
For children and educators, hand washing happens:
Before and after meals
After sensory play
When coming in from outside
After all diaper changes or potty breaks
For educators, hand washing happens:
After wiping noses
Before preparing meals
After cleaning
Before administering any medication
Enhanced Cleaning
A professional cleaner comes daily to ensure our classrooms are kept as clean as possible! We also have our rugs regularly steam cleaned.
In addition, since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have implemented 3 extra rounds of cleaning high-touch surfaces throughout each classroom daily. This extra cleaning is here to stay!
Masks
Masks are optional for staff and children over 2 years old.
General Cleaning
In general, our educators clean their classrooms throughout the day.
Some things we do are:
Tidy up toys to keep the floor clear from tripping or slipping hazards
Clean tables before and after meals to ensure children are eating on a clean surface
Sweep after each meal or sensory project to ensure the floor is kept clean
In each classroom, the changing table is cleaned and disinfected after each use
Gloves
Gloves are worn throughout the day to complete various tasks such as:
Wiping noses
Changing diapers or assisting with potty breaks
Preparing food
Applying sunscreen, creams, or lotions
and more!
Educators are trained to avoid cross contamination as well as spread of allergens or bacteria and are required to change gloves between completing these tasks for each child.
Safe Sleep
As part of our efforts to ensure safe sleep, we follow all EEC guidelines for infant sleep and beyond.
Infants should NEVER sleep in anything other than their assigned crib. Should infants fall asleep in their car seat on the way into the center, we must transfer them to their crib or pack and play. Should an infant fall asleep in our swings or seats, we transfer them to their assigned crib.
Infants are assigned their own individual crib or pack and play. This crib or pack and play is dressed with a tight-fitting sheet that is changed weekly and when soiled.
Infants must be placed on their backs until they are able to roll over. Infants must roll from front to back and vice versa multiple times to ensure they have mastered this skill to sleep safely on their stomach. Above each sleeping infant is a sign that states whether the infant has mastered this skill.
Only pacifiers are allowed in the crib with the infant. Should a pacifier be on a clip or stuffed animal, the attachment must be removed before placing it in the crib with the child. Unless the child is fussing, if the pacifier falls out of their mouth while they are sleeping, we do not put it back.
Should families be worried about their infant becoming cold when sleeping, infants may wear sleepers so long as their arms are free! We cannot swaddle infants without a physicians note.
At the age of 12 months, we begin to transition infants to sleep on rest mats. These mats are directly on the ground or very low, so there is no hazard for the child falling off!
Pillows, blankets, and/or stuffies can be introduced when the child is sleeping on a rest time mat.
Cribs and mats must be placed at least 2-3 feet apart, or with 2-3 feet of space between each child's head.
Childrens faces must never be covered with a blanket of any kind.
Nothing should ever be placed in an empty crib.
An evacuation crib is kept in each room with children under 15 months old. This crib is to be used to place all children unable to walk safely in the case of an emergency for evacuation. This allows swift removal of all children in the center. This crib must be kept with an open access to all emergency exits.
For emergency purposes, we ask all children to keep their shoes on during rest in case of an emergency. We would never want barefoot children or children wearing only socks walking in the snow or cold rain in the case of an emergency, especially since we are not allowed to grab coats!
We are not allowed to use weighted blankets (or other weighted sensory products) without a written note and Individual Health Care Plan from the child's physician.
Illness Policy
At Cowlicks & Pigtails, we do our very best to prevent the spread of illness!
Here are some key components to our illness policy.
Families are asked to keep their children home if anyone in the household is sick.
We perform a well-check via Brightwheel message and/or phone call for children who do not arrive by 9:30 am for the day.
Any educator who is unwell is asked to stay home for the day.
When contagious illnesses are reported, educators are encouraged to wear masks and be extra vigilant about cleaning and possible contamination.
Many times, children may begin feeling unwell while in our care. To ensure families are kept in the loop and to ensure the health and safety of all children and educators, we monitor the child for signs and symptoms. Should the child seem unwell, we message the family on Brightwheel with an update. We like to ensure we warn families early if there are any signs or symptoms that may indicate their child should see a physician. We keep this communication open.
Some signs and symptoms children may be sent home for include but are not limited to:
Fever of 100.4 or higher
Vomiting
Runny or loose stools (diarrhea)
Goopy eyes (possible conjunctivitis)
Persistent Cough with no known cause
An unusual rash
New cold symptoms
Feeling generally unwell
Should a contagious illness be diagnosed regarding a child who has been in our care, we warn all families of children in that age group that that illness has been diagnosed and to be vigilant for symptoms.
We NEVER disclose who was diagnosed with an illness. This is a breach in center/family confidentiality.
Families are asked to keep their children home until they are 24 hours fever free without medication and once symptoms are manageable. We may require a physician's note and/or a physician's level COVID test for children to return to our care.
For families' convenience, we keep COVID tests on site to be used when children and/or educators suspect they are unwell.
Playground Safety
Our playgrounds are inspected every morning before use to look for broken toys and hazardous materials or conditions.
Although we encourage children to use natural materials often in their play, we recognize that use of these materials without close supervision can pose a risk. We regularly clean up debris from trees to ensure that outdoor play is as safe as possible!
Our playground equipment is inspected daily for optimal function and replaced as needed.
We offer various surfaces in the playgrounds for optimal sensory experiences.
Pavement
Sand
Rubber Mulch
Our infant playground is built upon a patio with playmats available to ensure all infants have a safe surface while they are learning to sit up, crawl, cruise, and walk.
We offer various outdoor materials that are changed out regularly to keep children engaged. Toys are stored in a closed container to keep them safe from the weather, with playgrounds cleaned up daily.
Each classroom has an emergency bag with any emergency medications (child specific) and general supplies that could possibly be needed. These bags are kept out of reach of the children but in easy reach for our educators to access when needed. These bags are always with the classroom, inside and outside.
