3.6.2.7: Child Care Health Consultants for Facilities That Care for Children Who Are Ill

Each special facility that provides care for children who are ill should use the services of a child care health consultant for ongoing consultation on overall operation and development of written policies relating to health care. The child care health consultant should have the knowledge, skills and preparation as stated in Standard 1.6.0.1.

The facility should involve the child care health consultant in development and/or implementation, review, and sign-off of the written policies and procedures for managing specific illnesses. The facility staff and the child care health consultant should review and update the written policies annually.

The facility should assign the child care health consultant the responsibility for reviewing written policies and procedures for the following:

1. Admission and readmission after illness, including inclusion/exclusion criteria;
2. Health evaluation procedures on intake, including physical assessment of the child and other criteria used to determine the appropriateness of a child’s attendance;
3. Plans for health care and for managing children with infectious diseases;
4. Plans for surveillance of illnesses that are admissible and problems that arise in the care of children with illness;
5. Plans for staff training and communication with parents/guardians and primary care providers;
6. Plans for injury prevention;
7. Situations that require medical care within an hour.

RATIONALE: Appropriate involvement of child care health consultants is especially important for facilities that care for children who are ill. Facilities should use the expertise of primary care providers to design and provide a child care environment with sufficient staff and facilities to meet the needs of children who are ill (2,3). The best interests of the child and family must be given primary consideration in the care of children who are ill. Consultation by primary care providers, especially those whose specialty is pediatrics, is critical in planning facilities for the care of children who are ill (1).

RATIONALE

Appropriate involvement of child care health consultants is especially important for facilities that care for children who are ill. Facilities should use the expertise of primary care providers to design and provide a child care environment with sufficient staff and facilities to meet the needs of children who are ill (2,3). The best interests of the child and family must be given primary consideration in the care of children who are ill. Consultation by primary care providers, especially those whose specialty is pediatrics, is critical in planning facilities for the care of children who are ill (1).

COMMENTS

Caregivers/teachers should seek the services of a child care health consultant through state and local professional organizations, such as:

1. Local chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP);
2. Local Children’s hospital;
3. American Nurses Association (ANA);
4. Visiting Nurse Association (VNA);
5. American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP);
6. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP);
7. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC);
8. National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC);
9. National Association of School Nurses (NASN);
10. Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) National Resource Center;
11. State or local health department (especially public health nursing, infectious disease, and epidemiology departments).

TYPE OF FACILITY

Center, Early Head Start, Head Start, Large Family Child Care Home, Small Family Child Care Home

RELATED STANDARDS

1.6.0.1 Child Care Health Consultants

REFERENCES

1. Donowitz, L. G., ed. 1996. Infection control in the child care center and preschool, 18-19, 68. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams and Wilkins.
2. Churchill, R. B., L. K. Pickering. 1997. Infection control challenges in child care centers. Infect Dis Clin North Am 11:347-65.
3. Crowley A. A. 2000. Child care health consultation: The Connecticut experience. Matern Child Health J 4:67-75.