Toolkit for Integrating Healthy Physical and Mental
Development in Early Learning Guidelines
Health and Safety Topic #1: Handwashing
Caring for Our Children (CFOC) Standards and Healthy Kids, Healthy Care Links [Tips for Parents]
Selected States' Early Learning Guidelines
State Assessment

CFOC Standard(s):

Situations that Require Handwashing-3.020

All staff, volunteers, and children shall follow the procedure in STANDARD 3.021 for handwashing at the following times:
  1. Upon arrival for the day or when moving from one child care group to another;

  2. Before and after:
    • Eating, handling food, or feeding a child;
    • Giving medication;
    • Playing in water that is used by more than one person.

  3. After:
    • Diapering;
    • Using the toilet or helping a child use a toilet;
    • Handling bodily fluid (mucus, blood, vomit), from sneezing, wiping and blowing noses, from mouths, or from sores;
    • Handling uncooked food, especially raw meat and poultry;
    • Handling pets and other animals;
    • Playing in sandboxes;
    • Cleaning or handling the garbage.

Handwashing Procedure-3.021

Children and staff members shall wash their hands using the following method:
  1. Check to be sure a clean, disposable paper (or single-use cloth) towel is available.
  2. Turn on warm water, no less than 60 degrees F and no more than 120 degrees F, to a comfortable temperature.
  3. Moisten hands with water and apply liquid soap to hands.
  4. Rub hands together vigorously until a soapy lather appears, and continue for at least 10 seconds. Rub areas between fingers, around nailbeds, under fingernails, jewelry, and back of hands.
  5. Rinse hands under running water, no less than 60 degrees F and no more than 120 degrees F, until they are free of soap and dirt. Leave the water running while drying hands.
  6. Dry hands with the clean, disposable paper or single use cloth towel.
  7. If taps do not shut off automatically, turn taps off with a disposable paper or single use cloth towel.
  8. Throw the disposable paper towel into a lined trash container; or place single-use cloth towels in the laundry hamper; or hang individually labeled cloth towels to dry. Use hand lotion to prevent chapping of hands, if desired.

Assisting Children with Handwashing-3.022

Caregivers shall provide assistance with handwashing at a sink for infants who can be safely cradled in one arm and for children who can stand but not wash their hands independently. A child who can stand shall either use a child-size sink or stand on a safety step at a height at which the child's hands can hang freely under the running water. After assisting the child with handwashing, the staff member shall wash his or her own hands.

If a child is unable to stand and is too heavy to hold safely to wash the hands at the sink, caregivers shall use the following method:
  • Wipe the child's hands with a damp paper towel moistened with a drop of liquid soap. Then discard the towel.
  • Wipe the child's hands with a clean, wet, paper towel until the hands are free of soap. Then discard the towel.
  • Dry the child's hands with a clean paper towel.

HKHC Link(s):

Handwashing


Physical Health 18 to 24 Months
B. WELLNESS
3. Participates in basic health and safety routines.
H.S./CFR 1304.21(a)(3)(ii)
While young toddlers begin to find comfort in the health and safety routines established by their parents, caregivers, and teachers, they want to begin managing their own self-care routines. Young toddlers demonstrate familiarity with routines by:
  • participating in bathing routines, such as using the wash cloth to clean some body parts themselves;
  • washing and drying their own hands with some supervision.

For references to the state early learning guidelines used see State Early Learning Guidelines Used in Examples
Handwashing Content:

Content absent

Content to be strengthened

Content approaches CFOC
Action Plan
     


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