List of Safety Rules for an Infant Daycare

Parents trust their infant's daycare facility to have the best safety practices in place. There are several safety rules to ensure injuries do not occur. Daycare directors can check recent product consumer reports to find out if any recalls have been reported for items in the facility. All care providers should be informed about the daycare safety rules.

Stop the Spread of Communicable Disease

• In an infant daycare setting it is important to keep the children and caretakers healthy. A morning health check and observation should be conducted during the morning to find sick children. It may be necessary for them to be isolated from the other infants and refer them to medical care. It is also important to disinfect toys and surfaces as well as practice the proper hand-washing techniques.

Staff-to-Child Ratio

• Too many children for a caregiver to care for can become a major safety issue. The risk of injury is increased if the staff-to-child ratio is low. Children in a daycare setting should have two caregivers. A health and safety performance published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Public Health Association has the recommended staff-to-child ratios. Every three infants aged from birth to 24 months must have at least one caregiver.

Have an Emergency Evacuation Plan

• During an emergency in an infant daycare center, an evacuation procedure should be in place. Caregivers must conduct safety drills regularly so they can become familiar with the process. It is recommended that the emergency evacuation plan has at least two unobstructed escape routes. Care providers must always bring emergency information along when evacuating.