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Monthly Safety Checklist in Daycare

A daycare center is responsible to the health and safety of all children within its care. This is a tremendous responsibility for those running the facility. There are numerous problems that can occur while caring for young children, and while it is impossible to prevent all accidents or injuries, it is possible to prevent any serious problems. It is important, therefore, for daycare operators to perform routine monthly checks to help to ensure the health and safety of the children in the daycare.

  1. Fire Safety

    • Every licensed daycare will at one point or another undergo a fire safety inspection, and, depending on the state, these inspections may occur annually or on some form of regular basis. It is the responsibility of the daycare operator to ensure that the basic fire safety measures are taken and maintained. A monthly check to ensure that everything is in order and up to standard is an important step to take in ensuring the safety of the facility. The operator should check to make sure that there are working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and clear exits in case of emergency. The facility should also have posted exit routes and emergency procedures clearly visible to employees, volunteers and parents. It is also a good idea for all electrical cords to be checked as well as checking that there are no other fire hazards.

    Kitchen Area

    • The kitchen area, as at home, can be a dangerous place for a child. It is important that the daycare operator check that this area is kept safe. Are the cabinets installed with working child safety locks? Is the cooking area closed off from children or supervised while in use? Does the stove have knobs and buttons out of reach of children so that it will not be accidentally turned on? Also, the kitchen should be equipped with its own fire extinguisher.

    Equipment

    • All equipment used by the children should be checked monthly to ensure that it is safe. This includes the cribs, playpens, highchairs, playground equipment and indoor toys. The operator should make sure that nothing has become weakened, broken or unsafe to be used. If an item is found to be unsuitable for use, it should be removed immediately and replaced.

    Additional Items

    • The operator should also ensure that there are adequate first aid kits available to the staff and kept in specified locations within the facility. There should also be emergency numbers posted for the fire department, rescue squad, poison control and police department. All children should also have emergency contact information listed in their personal files and should be kept updated. The daycare operator should also ensure that all cleaning supplies and hazardous materials be kept in a separate and secured area.

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