Health and Safety

For this Performance Task, you will apply key practical concepts related to fostering the health and safety of young children to create a handbook for an early childhood setting.

Access the following to complete this Assessment:

Health and Safety Handbook Template (LINK IN ATTACHMENTS)
Your response to this Performance Task should reflect the criteria provided in the Rubric and adhere to the required length. (RUBRIC IS IN THE ATTACHMENTS)

We Can Be Healthy and Safe Together!

You are the director of a small early childhood program serving infants through preschoolers throughout the work day; adding care for six school-age children, K-3, after their elementary school dismisses for the day. Your city has just announced an initiative to promote well being in every community and you’re excited to involve your program in this effort. You have met with the staff and family committee for your program and together decided to develop a handbook to share with all of the families in your program.

Your handbook will have five parts:

—PLEASE INCLUDE ALL 5 PARTS!!!!—

Part 1: What is Wellness for Young Children?
The committee has decided that offering this type of introduction will create an essential shared understanding.

For this part of the handbook:

Write a brief introduction explaining the concept of wellness and its importance in promoting healthy growth and development for young children. Support your thinking with at least one credible and relevant resource. (2-3 paragraphs)

Part 2: How Can Our Program Promote Quality Nutrition?
Your program provides snacks and the preschoolers bring their lunches from home. Members of the committee have noticed that oftentimes snacks lean heavily on sugary foods and many of the children are bringing food items that consist largely of empty calories. Understanding that families and staff might benefit from reliable information to help them make better nutritional choices, you decide to provide guidelines and suggestions in the handbook. (2-3 Paragraphs)

For this part of the handbook:

In an opening paragraph, explain some of the benefits of appropriate nutrition for healthy brain development, preventing obesity, and advancing good health in young children. Refer to at least two current references.
Using ChooseMyPlate.gov as a reference, suggest three practical and nutritional sample lunch menus that families of toddlers, preschoolers, or school-agers can pack for their children. Include one lunch suggestion for a child with specific dietary preferences or needs such as vegetarian or vegan.
Part 3: Healthy Early Childhood Environments: Inside and Out!

Although your center has clear policies regarding everyday practices related to promoting children’s health, the committee recommended sharing insights related to current thinking on environmental concerns that can impact everyone in the setting.
For this part of the handbook:

Summarize current thinking on making sure the following are safe and healthy:
Air Quality and Ventilation
Furniture and Carpets
Art Supplies
Water Play
Playdough/Clay
(1 paragraph each)
Describe your program policy for sun safety. Include special consideration for infants, information on sunscreen protection, protective eyewear, considerations for medication, and any other relevant factors. (2-3 paragraphs)
Describe your program policy for playing outdoors in cold weather. Include what children need to wear and any temperature considerations that would affect children going outdoors. (2-3 paragraphs)
Part 4: Let’s Be Prepared for Emergencies!
The committee acknowledged that for the safety of children and reassurance of families, it is critical that all stakeholders are well informed about emergency preparation and response expectations. Your program is committed to ongoing training on this important topic.

For this part of the handbook:

General advance preparations for this type of emergency (supplies, staff training, drills, etc.)
Evacuation or shelter-in-place procedures that will be followed
Communication considerations
Types of support that will be provided to children during the event and/or afterwards
(5-7 paragraphs)

Part 5: Fostering Mental Health through Caring and Security

Members of the committee expressed concern about outside influences that may be causing stress to children in the program. You agree that helping children cope with stress is part of promoting mental health. You are also aware that about half of the families in your program have been or are currently dealing with a separation or divorce. You recognize that this is a sensitive topic but you also want to reach out to all families with information that might be useful during this type of challenging situation—now or in the future.
For this part of the handbook:

Explain at least three insights that reflect current thinking regarding young children and divorce that may be helpful to parents in this situation. Support your thinking with at least one credible and relevant resource. (2-3 paragraphs)
Identify two possible behaviors for each age group (infant, toddler, preschooler, and school-age) that may indicate a child is experiencing stress outside of the early childhood environment possibly due to divorce or separation. (2-3 paragraphs)
Recommend two strategies to use with young children, including relevant age group(s) (infant, toddler, preschooler, and school-age) to promote a sense of emotional safety and security within the early childhood environment and/or at home.(2-3 paragraphs)