Health, Sickness & Infection Control

All members should feel playgroup is a safe environment to attend with their children. This includes attending playgroup without fear of being exposed to contagious illnesses. With recent events it is really important to recognise when your child is sick and prohibit them from attending playgroup. This will limit the spread of illness and help your own child rest and recuperate.

 

Vaccination

It is important to note that it is not mandatory to have your child vaccinated in order to attend playgroup. Therefore, there will be members with children who are not vaccinated and may be at an increased risk of developing particular conditions.

 

If your child has the following symptoms, please do not bring your child to playgroup:

• Known diseases such as measles, mumps and chickenpox.
• Infected skin or eyes (including conjunctivitis).
• Undiagnosed rash.
• Severe itching, dry skin on either body or scalp (If caused by head or body lice or scabies).
• Unexplained diarrhoea or loose stool (may or may not be combined with vomiting). These symptoms may indicate a bacterial or viral gastrointestinal infection which is easily passed to other children.
• Nausea and vomiting. Children should not attend until all symptoms have fully ceased for 48 hours.
• A cold with listlessness, green runny nose, watery eyes, persistent cough or sore throat. Once the child’s temperature, wellbeing and energy have returned to normal and is no longer contagious, they may return to playgroup, even if they still have a slight cough or clear runny nose. If symptoms (runny nose and eyes, coughing) are caused by an allergy (e.g. hay fever, asthma) the child is not contagious and can attend.

 

Children should not attend playgroup until the following symptoms have fully ceased or the child is diagnosed as not contagious:

• Difficulty in breathing, wheezing or persistent cough.
• Fever accompanied by symptoms such as listlessness or sluggishness.
• Sore throat or trouble swallowing.
• Pain – any complaint of unexplained or undiagnosed pain (not including complaints such as teething).

 

What to do….

Parents are responsible for determining if their child is well enough to attend playgroup. Each group is encouraged to self-manage any concerns arising but may refer to the Executive Committee for assistance and or advice.

 

Infection Control

It is common sense to follow good basic hygiene whilst at the centre and minimise the spread of viruses and other common illnesses.

 

Basic hygiene

We ask all members to follow basic hygiene and encourage their children to practise the same:

• Wash your hands and the children’s hands with soap (including back of hands, wrists, between fingers and under fingernails) and rinse before eating any food and after using the toilet. Or use hand sanitiser provided. 
• Encourage older children to wipe their own noses and to dispose the tissue in the bin and then wash their hands.
• Use tissues rather than handkerchiefs.
• Clean and sanitise toys after every play session: babies and toddlers love putting various objects into their mouths as they learn to explore their environment.

 

What to do if you child has an accident

Accidents happen especially when you go through the stage of toilet training your child. When cleaning up urine, faeces or vomit please do the following:

• Wear protective gloves.
• Saturate paper towel in diluted disinfectant such as White King or Domestos (1/3 cup of disinfectant to 2/3 cups of water).
• A “spill kit” can be found in the large kitchen cupboard (where the vacuums are kept).
• Cover the spill with the paper towel, leave for 10 minutes then transfer into a plastic bag. Repeat procedure.
• Wash area with hot water and detergent.
• Discard gloves into plastic bag, tie up and dispose of in the large bins outside the centre.
• Gloves are not a total barrier against germs, so hands still need to be washed carefully.

 

Influenza, swine flu (H1N1) & COVID-19

Most viruses such as influenza spread by inhaling respiratory droplets from a cough or a sneeze of someone infected. It can also be transferred by touching respiratory droplets that land on a surface and then touching your eyes, mouth or nose. If you, the carer or your child have flu-like symptoms, you should not come to playgroup and seek medical advice. If you have attended Playgroup and since have tested positive for COVID-19, please alert the President or Memberships Coordinator immediately.