Safety Is The Number One Priority In Day Care

Did you know that approximately 88 percent of all injury-related children deaths are due to unintentional injuries (based on a 2009 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare)? In fact, a 2006 report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that injuries account for the highest proportion of children's deaths in Australia (36 percent), which is almost twice as much as children's deaths from cancer (19 percent).

Considering these sobering statistics, you can clearly see why safety should be the number one priority in a day care facility, or any other place. Therefore, regardless of the qualification of the caregivers in a facility or the play and learning equipment available, you simply cannot risk having your child in a facility that has critical safety issues.

How Child Care Centres Make Safety A Priority

Any well-organised centre would always weave in safety aspects into every activity within the facility. This is something that would always remain a constant consideration by all staff.

Here are a number of safety strategies that the facility may implement.

1. Active Supervision

Whatever activity the children are involved in - even napping - there must always be adult supervisor at all times.

Actually, there's much more to supervision than simply waiting for something to happen in order to take action. The caregiver must be able to pre-empt certain harmful situations, by understanding how children are likely to behave in specific situations. This will greatly help in directing young children away from potentially harmful situations, even before harm is done.

2. Safety Rules

Various pre-emptive measures must be applied to safeguard against risky behaviour. Certain rules that children would easily understand can be laid out, giving directions on what to do or not to do during play.

Something as simple as giving a rule that when climbing, all toys must be left on the ground, would help reduce chances of injuries. Just make sure to give simple to understand rules that can be easily grasped by the relevant age group.

3. Know The Abilities Of Every Child

Although children may be grouped with their fellow age-mates, each child may have drastically different capabilities from others. Such capabilities aren't even restricted to particular genders, since you can find that some young girls actually are more energetic than some boys.

Therefore, it's important that the caregiver takes note of the specific abilities of each child and doesn't just assume that they have similar capacities. Such knowledge would help in directing them during play, so that you can keep the less capable ones from harming themselves as they try to measure up with the more capable kids.

4. Take Note Of New Hazards

Even if you set certain rules early on, you're bound to require certain changes to the laid down guidelines, as time goes on. This is because something that was previously harmless may become a potential danger later on.

For instance, a log in the open play ground would be a splendid play thing, but it would turn slippery and potentially harmful when it rains.


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If you need a safe environment where your child can engage in both outdoor and indoor play, Day Care Narraweena is your best choice. We offer a stimulating and flexible environment, where your child can learn and play. Children from 0 to 5 years can benefit from our excellent facility. If you want more information and ideas, get it here http://www.madchildcare.com.au/centres/narraweena/centre-page/ .