Safety at Day Camps and Play Schemes

Day camps offer a wide range of activities for your child such as horse riding, snorkeling, scuba diving and rock climbing. All equipment will have been tested to meet regulations and regular inspections are made by independent bodies to ensure they meet safety standards.

No child is left unsupervised at anytime of the day when taking part in any of the activities and proper training is given at all times. Camps which include such activities as climbing horse riding and water sports are required by law to obtain a license from the Adventure activities licensing authority.

This means that an independent body will inspect the activities on a regular basis to make sure they meet with certain standards.

Camp Staff Qualifications and checks

Most centers which are based on activities involving sports will have official coaches for instructors and courses for young children and those under the age of 8 have to have staff that are registered as child minders.

All staff will have had to take a course in first aid and gained a certificate and all centers will have a qualified medical person on the premises. All staff working in a registered day camp or play scheme will have undergone a criminal records background check too.

Security At Camps For Summer

All camps will be set in secure surroundings completely fenced in and staff will all wear a uniform making them easily identifiable to children.

Visitors to the camps will have to pass security and must wear a badge at all times, children who are staying at the camp will have been sent a form when booking stating the name of the person who will be picking your child up from camp and requesting a signature and password, when collecting your child checks will be made with the password and signature ensuring total safety.

Food At Camps For Summer

All camps must offer three nutritious and varied meals per day as well as mid morning and mid afternoon healthy snacks with fruit juice. Your child will be able to choose from various options with staff on hand to make sure they receive nutrition with each meal, for example your child can’t just eat burgers and fries all week.

Camps: What To Tell The Center

Well before your child attends a camp they will send out a form requesting any medical information the camp should know about, for example if your child has epilepsy or asthma. They will want to know any medication they take, when they should take it and how much your child should take and also if they need assistance taking it.

This form must be handed in on arrival along with any medication which should be clearly labeled with your Child’s name, age, address and the name of their Doctor. Every site will have a sick bay with staff trained in first aid that is available 24 hours a day.

The booking form will have included space for contact numbers in the case of an emergency and this will be checked over with you upon arrival at the center.

Contacting Your Child At Camp

You will have access to calling your child whenever you wish but some centers advise against calling during the first couple of days which will allow any child who is homesick the chance to settle down.

Staff will be on hand for any child who is having problems settling into the care and will do their best to reassure your child, in the event that your child doesn’t settle down in a day or so a staff member will call you.

There are usually card telephones in the camps so it is wise to purchase a card for your child before leaving the camp this gives the child peace of mind knowing they can reach you if they need to.

Healthy Eating Habits for Children

Children’s healthy eating habits are reinforced when practiced both at home and in childcare centers. As a childcare professional, some factors to ensure are:

• Meal-times at the center must be supervised, informative and relaxed
• Children should be taught the importance of hand-washing before and after eating, as well as being encouraged to brush their teeth
• Table etiquette such as serving, seating, sharing, good manners, use of cutlery and utensils, correct handling and eating of food should be taught
• Serve 5-6 small meals a day if possible. This prevents overeating and allows you to add variety to meal-times.

Developing Children’s Healthy Eating Habits
Children learn from observation as well and will follow examples set by parents, childcarers and family members. Follow these tips to encourage child healthy eating habits:

• Making learning fun or allowing children to participate in planning their own healthy meals and snacks is a fun way for them to learn and absorb healthy eating habits for a lifetime.
• Restrict unhealthy snacks and food items such as chocolates, candies, fizzy drinks and fast food, and replace with fruit platters, frozen ice candies made of natural juice, fresh juice and milk, and crispy fresh veggies.
• Discuss healthy and unhealthy foods and teach children to differentiate between the two
• Older children can be taught to read labels and understand how ingredients make food healthy and unhealthy
• Avoid storing unhealthy snacks and rewarding good behavior with candies

Health and Child Healthy Eating Habits

Along with teaching children healthy eating habits, child carers can introduce other informative topics related to good health and healthy eating habits for children.

• A trip to a supermarket, farmer’s market or strawberry-picking day will allow for fun and learning
• Call in a child dietitian to discuss healthy eating habits for children and issues like obesity in a simple, engaging way
• Fitness goes together with child healthy eating – encourage outdoor activity and exercise as often as possible
• Parent-child sessions are usually good opportunities for you to interact with parents and discuss nutritional and dietary plans for children

Childcarer’s Guide for Healthy Eating Habits for Children

In addition to teaching child healthy eating habits, childcare centers have to follow safety and health precautions for storing, heating and serving. Safety guidelines and regulatory acts are in place for registered centers, and professionals should be aware of this. In addition, childcare workers should be taught basic first-aid procedures in case of food allergies, anaphylaxis, and choking and upset stomachs. It is important to talk to parents of children to understand the dietary requirements, cultural specifications and possible allergies of each child.

References

1. Childcare and Healthy Eating. Better Health Channel
2. Healthy Eating and Child Care. Child Care Aware