Guides: Education Support and Childcare: Maintain a Safe and Healthy Environment for Children

eBooks

Health and Wellbeing : Growing and Developing, Physical and Emotional Wellbeing Given that every child is both unique and a competent learner from birth, it is crucial that educators encourage and support each child to thrive in every area of development at their pace and in their own individual ways.
Publication Date: 2018

Online Videos

Providing Care for Children This program is a must for viewers who are studying to become child care workers. It offers an insightful and practical introduction to caring for children in both day care and kindergarten settings. We meet Pedagogy Leader Catherine Lees and teacher Lin Xue at a typical day care center. We observe them at work and discuss important issues such as physical care, helping children understand their own physical needs, encouraging responsibility, and responding to emotional needs. We also learn how to assist children with hygiene, safety and exercise, and how to create a stable environment, foster independence and show empathy to children.
Reducing Infection Risk in Early Years Settings Adults should have children wash their hands, cover their mouth when coughing and sneezing, dress open cuts, ensure a clean play environment, and promote air circulation
Schedules and Routines This in-service suite shows how schedules and routines help to promote children’s learning. Explore guidelines to create a daily classroom schedule that children can learn to follow. This video is part of a series of 15-minute in-service suites on Engaging Interactions and Environments.
Why is Safe Sleeping Important? ACECQA’s National Education Leader, Rhonda Livingstone, contributed to this safe sleeping resource for Red Nose. Red Nose has a range of resources available to keep education and care services informed about safe sleep and rest practices.
Working Safely with Children Childcare workers are asked to commit themselves physically, emotionally and psychologically to their work. It’s a position of great responsibility – but when done well, it is a genuinely rewarding career. Achieving well in this area however demands a detailed knowledge of how to work safely with children. In this program we examine health and hygiene, safe supervision, safe travel, and health and first aid. Filmed in the workplace, and filled with practical information providing real-world perspectives and examples, this is an engaging look at some of the key skills required in the childcare industry today.

Websites

Cyber Safety Tips to help children be safe and responsible online users.
First Aid and Medical From the Department of Health - First aid A to Z. Includes information on: First aid for a choking adult of child over 1 First aid for a choking infant under 1 First aid for bites and stings First aid for eye injuries Managing anaphylaxis at school or child care
Immunisation From the Department of Health - Immunisation refers to the process where the body induces immunity to a disease as a result of a vaccine.
Red Nose (SIDS) Red Nose has a range of resources available for parents, carers, and health professions to help reduce the risk of sudden and unexpected death during pregnancy, infancy and childhood. Explore the catalogue by searching below, or ask us a question. The information provided on the Red Nose website has been developed and reviewed by experts in pregnancy and infant and child health. The content is regularly reviewed by our Midwives, Safe Sleep Educators and by members of our National Scientific Advisory Group to ensure the advice is up-to-date with the latest evidence-based information.
Reading for the Heart and Mind With a growing need for positive mental health messages for children and teenagers, the Children’s Book Council of Australia WA Branch has created a series of five videos to highlight how books and reading can play an important role in helping young people feel better about themselves and their place in the world.
Safe Sleep and Rest Practices Policies and procedures about children’s sleep and rest must be in place at all children's education and care services.
Safety and Security A child becomes strong in their social and emotional wellbeing. They: feel safe, secure and supported take increasing responsibility for their own health and safety.
School Health From the Department of Health - Topics covered: child development services, community child health nurses, head lice, school-based immunisation program, school health services, starting or moving child care, kindergarten or school - immunisation requirements, ten top tips for a great start to school & treating head lice.
Staying Healthy : Preventing Infectious Diseases in Early Childhood Education and Care Services
Western Australian Curriculum - Health and Physical From the Government of WA - In Health and Physical Education, students learn how to enhance their own and others' health, safety, wellbeing and physical activity participation in varied and changing contexts.
SunSmart Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world. Two in three Australians will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and every year around 2,000 people die from this disease. SunSmart is focused on improving awareness, knowledge, attitudes and behaviour relating to ultraviolet (UV) exposure and the early detection of skin cancer, and working towards all West Australians can work and play in UV protective environments.

Books in the Library

Children's wellbeing in the media age : multidisciplinary perspectives from the Harvard-Australia Symposium Introduction -- Part 1 -- Applying the ecological model of human development to the study of media's effects on children -- A citizen-child lens on the media, health and wellbeing -- An action research model of media production -- Part 2 -- (Applied) ethics -- Bioethics -- Paediatrics -- Social work -- Librarianship and information collection -- (Media) law -- Public health nutrition -- Part 3 -- Developmental psychology -- The study of aggressive behaviour --The study of body image -- Sleep psychology -- Conclusion. "Children, from infancy through adolescence, now spend more time consuming media content than they do in school, with parents or engaging in any activity other than sleep. Parents, educators, and policy-makers are concerned, confused and overwhelmed, since the media we use and how we use them influence virtually every aspect of our lives." -- back cover
Publication Date: 2015
Coping with crisis : learning the lessons from accidents in the early years This practical book is useful both for inspection preparation and helping to promote the ongoing importance of personal responsibility and commitment to children's safety and well being. It condenses management and safeguarding issues by bringing together food safety, health and safety legislation and the welfare requirements within the revised Early Years Foundation Stage 2014
Publication Date: 2016
Exploring well-being in the early years Children's experiences and well-being in their earliest years underpin and highly influence their future development and learning. Drawing on research with parents, children and a range of professionals in the early childhood field, this book considers how well-being is interpreted in the early childhood field. It includes snapshots of what our youngest children think about their well-being, and examines external environmental contexts that impact on well-being.
Publication Date: 2014
Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education SAFETY, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH IN EARLY EDUCATION, Sixth Edition, uses theory, practical applications, and resources to prepare readers for a career in working with children from birth to age eight in multicultural and socioeconomically diverse early childhood settings. This book emphasizes healthy development, including environmental health and safety, active supervision, and how issues surrounding safety, nutrition, health, child maltreatment, and mental and emotional health can affect brain development. It also fully integrates NAEYC, DAP, and AAP/APHA professional standards throughout, and includes strategies for how to engage diverse families from various backgrounds and beliefs, and also those whose children have special needs.
Publication Date: 2015
SIDS and kids infant safe sleeping child care kit : information for education and care services ; sleep safe, my baby. Booklets: Section 1: Safe sleeping -- Background Information: Why is it important that educators know about the SIDS and Kids safe sleeping messages? -- Guide to developing a safe sleeping policy for babies
Publication Date: 2015

Online Journals / Articles

Best Practice for Occupational Health and Safety Management Paul Dunstan explains the most effective way for schools to achieve the best outcomes for occupational health and safety: approach the issue by asking 'what do we have to do?' not 'why do we have to do it?
Care experienced children: what can they tell us about their learning? This article arises from an EdD thesis (Horsburgh, 2018) that sought to describe research undertaken to address a perceived gap in the literature by carrying out a detailed examination of the classroom learning of seven primary school aged, care‐experienced children.
Child suffers severe allergic reaction after being fed dairy at Margaret River daycare A two-year-old was taken to hospital after her Margaret River daycare fed her chocolate cake, even though they were aware of her dairy allergy.
Improving Children's Physical Activity in Out-of-school Hours Care Settings Issues addressed: Improving children's opportunities for and participation in physical activity at out-of-school hours (OOSH) care. Methods: A needs assessment, 12-month implementation and evaluation were conducted. Strategies included feedback and support to improve physical activity programs and policies; staff training; resource distribution; and grants to disadvantaged services. Strategies were developed in partnership with an advisory committee from the OOSH sector.
INSPIRE: A comprehensive package to reduce violence against children and provide a safe and nurturing environment An article that describes the development of a safe environment, measures to support parents and caregivers.

Toy Library Resources

Anxiety Solutions for Kids : 50 Ways to Ride the Wave Fifty cards with simple, fun activities for children who experience worry or anxiety from time to time - and that's every child! Especially for children between 3-14 years and teachers, parents, psychologists, counsellors, early childhood educators, health workers, family workers, foster carers and...anyone who cares for children. Based on clinically-proven techniques used for many years by consulting psychologist and clinical nutritionist, Selina Byrne M.A.P.S. including: mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy, brain research, positive psychology. Help children manage anxious thoughts, create well-being and build resilience ... 50 laminated, full-colour cards, plus a 48-page booklet with ideas for using the cards at home, at school or within professional settings. Book includes references and links to research.