Key Questions

• Are children supervised at all times - including playground time and while sleeping?



• Baby proofing and child proofing help, but supervision is the key to preventing injuries!



• Who covers for the caregiver when they must leave the room or are distracted by a child's immediate need?



• Have caregivers developed skills in giving attention to individual children while scanning the group for potential problems?


• Have materials, equipment, supplies and the environment been designed and selected with child safety in mind?



• Are safety checks to inspect equipment, play areas and surroundings conducted on a regular basis?



• Does the program have clear and simple safety rules that are given in positive language and taught to all children?



Example: "Just walk" is better than "Don't run".


• Does the caregiver have current first aid training?



First aid and CPR classes help a person become aware of injury prevention techniques. Training helps a person to stay calm, act quickly and keep other children safe during an emergency.


SPECIAL NOTE: All of the subject areas in Healthy Kids, Healthy Care contain some aspect of safety and injury prevention (also known as accident prevention) – please check out the other topics in this guide for a comprehensive look at prevention methods for a child care program.