There is no legal age limit for leaving a child on their own, but it is an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. Parents can be prosecuted for neglect if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health’ (Children and Young Person’s Act).

How mature is the child?

The most important factor to consider is how mature the child is. For instance, it may be okay to leave a very mature or ‘grown up’ 12 year old alone for a day while you are at work, but not a 13 year old who is not mature.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) advises that:

• children under the age of thirteen are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time
• children under the age of sixteen should not be left alone overnight
• babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone

Things to remember

If you do leave your child home alone, remember to do the following:

• leave a contact phone number and make sure you can answer it right away
• leave a separate contact list of people you trust, in case they can’t get hold of you
• talk to your child before you leave about how to stay safe, and tell them not to answer the door to strangers
• make sure dangerous objects like matches and knives are out of reach, as well as medicines and dangerous chemicals
• leave clear instructions on what to do in case of an emergency (like a fire)
• tell them what time you will be back, and don’t be late
• set some basic rules about what they can and can’t do while you are out
• teach them basic first aid

Finally, it is essential to make sure that your child is happy to be left alone. If they aren’t confident about being left alone then find someone to look after them.

Many parents are undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief now that the miserable winter weather is over and along with it the constant barrage of colds, flu and every other virus under the sun.

While they may get a bit of a break, unless the daycare center or home employs a few basic hygiene and cleaning particles.

Hand Washing
Hand washing is the single most effective way of reducing the spread of infection. To be effective however, hand washing must be done properly and frequently.

HANDWASHING  FOR STAFF

1)   Use soap and warm running water.
2)   Wet your hands and add soap.
3)   Rub your hands vigorously for 5 to 10 seconds.
4)   Wash all surfaces, including the backs of hands and between fingers.
5)   Rinse your hands well under running water for 5 to 10 seconds.
6)   Dry your hands well with a towel. Turn off  the taps with a paper towel.
7)   Dispose of the cloth or paper towel.
8)   Apply hand lotion, as needed.

Cleaning & Sanitizing
Diapering areas should be sprayed or wiped with bleach solution after each use to reduce the risk or diarrhea.

Other Germ Eliminating Ideas
There are a number of other things a provider can do to eliminate or stop the spread of germs.  She can:

• Teach the children how to cough or sneeze with their hand properly over their mouth and nose and to toss out the tissues as soon as they are through with them
• Keep cots and cribs far enough apart so that the children are not breathing, coughing, or sneezing on each other and make sure the same child uses the same cot/ crib every day
• Open windows daily to air out the facility.
• Give each child a separate place to keep their belongings
• Teach the children NOT to share toothbrushes, cups, hairbrushes or food
• Have an area where a sick child can comfortably be separated from the other children until their parents arrive
• Have a policy in places that excludes a child with a contagious disease and let parents know
  about this policy
• Inform parents of any contagious disease affecting any of the other children at the facility, and
• Make certain each child’s immunizations are up – to – date.

There seem to be two peak times when children wind up with colds – at the beginning of the school year and after the Christmas holidays.Its quite simple, in fact. It is at these times that children are exposed to new viruses.

During the fall and winter seasons, children are more often indoors rather then outdoors. Close confinement with many others may increase your child’s chance of picking up the virus. Sneezing, coughing, and sharing kitchen utencils, cups, bottles, or food are common ways viruses spread amongst preschoolers.

Cold can be prevented but it has no cure.

Myth:
“If you take Vitamin C each day, you’ll keep colds away.”

Fact:
Research has proven that the Vitamin C does not prevent colds. However, some studies have shown that Vitamin C may actually help people weather colds better. When your child has a cold, oranges, grapefruits and juices with Vitamin C added, may reduce the severity and length of the cold. Drinking lots of water and eating soups are good ideas, too.

Myth:
“If you have a cold, don’t drink milk….it causes mucus.”

Fact:
While there is little evidence to support the belief that milk causes mucus, we do know that viral infections themselves often result in the production of mucus. Besides mucus, other common cold symptoms include tiredness, irritability and poor appetite. To speed up recovery from a cold, it is important to get your child’s eating pattern back on track. Choosing nutrient dense foods, like milk, is important when kids don’t want to eat or drink much. Your child may find milk easier to swallow if it is heated or added to other favorite foods like soups and pudding.

Myth:
“If you go outside with wet hair, you’ll catch a cold.”
Fact:
Colds are caused by viruses. There is no need to restrict activities like swimming. Make sure children dry their heads before going outside because they can lose body heat, especially with cooler winter temperatures.

Things You Can do to Prevent a Cold

• Remind children to wash their hands after they use the toilet, before they prepare or eat food and after they wipe their nose.
• Remind children not to share food or drinks, cutlery, dishes, bottles or cups.
• Protect your child against secondhand smoke; This has been shown to increase the risk for complications of colds.

Things You Can Do When Prevent Your Child Has A Cold

• Remind children to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing and to wash their hands afterwards, especially before rubbing their eyes.
• Encourage children to use a tissue. Be sure the tissue goes in the garbage right away.
• Make sure that your child is drinking lots of fluids. Water is a must. Try serving 100% juice, milk or soup.
• If your child isn’t hungry, try to serve energy-packed foods like scrambled eggs, hot cereals, cream soups, ice cream and homemade puddings. Try to get your child’s eating habits back on track as soon a possible.

No matter how careful a parent is in selecting child care, there is always the risk of child abuse. It is possible for even babies to be abused or neglected. But how is a parent to know when and if their child is being abused? The fact is, there is no standard behavioral patterns for children who are abused or neglected. A child’s reaction to such treatment is as individual as the child. There are however, some general signs that can alert a parent to abuse.

Behavioral Changes

• loss of appetite;
• a tendency to overeat;
• even the onset of nightmares or bedwetting.

A parent should also be concerned if their child shows or expresses an intense dislike for the caregiver. It is not unusual for a child to feel anxious about being separated from the parent. The concern comes when the child, who has begun to throw tantrums or who cries heavily at the sight of the caregiver or the center, is acting in a way inconsistent with his or her normal behavior. This could indicate a cry for help.

Improper Care
The signs of improper care being given to babies and infants may be more difficult to detect. Babies have been left in their car seats for virtually the whole day receiving neither physical or emotional care. In a situation such as this:

• A child may tire or become listless.
• The child may become completely detached from his or her environment.
• The child may show signs of developmental delays resulting from the lack of stimulation and affection.
• On the other hand, a baby or infant may become more demanding of a parent’s attention and affection.

Sleep patterns may become disturbed.
The child may develop a severe case of diaper rash, may vomit or become anemic.

Cuts, Bruises and Welts
Other signs of abuse may be more evident. Such is the case with unexplained cuts, bruises, burns or welts. A good provider will tell a parent when and how an accident occurred, and should provide an accident report of some sort.

Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse, every parent’s worst nightmare, may show itself in any of the aforementioned signs. Other possible signs include:

• torn or stained clothing;
• abnormal walk;
• an odd vaginal smell or discharge;
• pain in the region;
• possibly even trouble in swallowing;
• and a knowledge of sex unusual for the age of the child.

The Parent’s Role
What should a parent do if child or sexual abuse is suspected?

• For the well being of the child a parent must remain calm, and should not, in any way accuse, or upset the child.
• If the child is old enough, a parent should discuss the findings with him or her, then listen and be sympathetic, allowing the child as much time as is necessary to disclose what information he or she is willing or able to at that time.
• A parent should take the child to their family doctor or pediatrician for a full examination.

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Cherokee County detectives arrested a 23-year-old nanny after the parents of a child produced a video tape showing alleged abuse of a boy, authorities said.

Officials said Smith was charged after the parents of a 13-month-old boy reported they had a video of Smith slapping their child in the face, pushing the child to the ground and pinching the child on the leg. The family said they recently began videotaping their living room due to concerns they had about their son’s behavior.

“And actually the first day that they placed this video camera, within the first hour of this babysitter watching the child, they captured the images on video,” said Sgt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.

The child’s parents said they never expected what they saw on the video. They said Smith attacked their son as he stood crying at the bottom of some stairs.

“On the video, you see the babysitter slap this 13-month-old boy in the face. She also pinches the boy and pushes the child to the ground,” said Baker.

The parents said they hired Smith from a national online childcare service that specializes in in-home child care — called www.SitterCity.com. Smith had worked in the home 3 days a week since September.

“Apparently she’s been a babysitter for numerous years and has worked for this SitterCity.com for at least four years,” said Baker. “It’s just one of those things where you can’t be too careful about who you invite into your home to watch your children. And fortunately this family was smart enough to capture these images on video.”

When contacted by Channel 2, Melissa Underwood with SitterCity.com released the following statement: “Sittercity takes our position as the safest way to find childcare very seriously. We have a detailed four-step screening process that parents can conduct on sitters, including references, parent feedback, an interview process, and background checks. As soon as the allegation was reported to us, we immediately took action and terminated the sitter account in question.

Telling your children to “never talk to strangers” is only one step in keeping our children safe from sexual predators and child abductors.

As children, how many times were we told to “never talk to strangers”? And how many times have we given our own children the same message? We’ve all heard the horror stories and because of them we’re anxious to street proof our children. But Martha McArthur of the safety program, Block Parents, believes that a pat “never talk to strangers” isn’t realistic. Instead, McArthur says “it’s important to make your children aware how to interact with strangers. ‘Never talk to strangers’ just isn’t practical because we do find children who get lost and are then afraid to ask for help from a stranger.”

As spring arrives children venture to the great outdoors for play and pleasure.  In so doing they encounter any number of safety obstacles like learning to cope with traffic.  Going for walks is a great way to teach young children the rules of the road.

• Always stop at the curb or road edge before entering the street.
• Look left, right, then left again before crossing.  Look over your shoulder for turning vehicles.  As you cross the road, keep looking left, right, then left again.
• Where traffic lights are placed, only cross when the light is green or the “WALK” light is on.
• Before you cross, always look left, right, then left again.
• When a “DON’T WALK” sign appears, wait on the curb until the “WALK” sign comes on.  If you are already in the street  keep walking.
• Never walk out from behind a parked vehicle.  Walk to the nearest intersection to cross the
  street.
• If children must walk where there are no sidewalks, teach them to facing the traffic and to keep
  to the left as far away from the road as possible.

Did you ever imagine that the cute teddy bear or comforting security blanket in your baby’s crib could be dangerous? “The truth is, soft bedding products could be hazardous if used improperly,” warns the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA).

“The safest sleeping environment for infants is on a firm mattress in a crib which meets current mandatory and voluntary standards. Use only a fitted crib sheet, mattress pad, and/or waterproof pad between the sleeping baby and the crib mattress,” advises William L. MacMillan, JPMA President. “Extra pillows, blankets, and plush toys may look comforting in the crib but should always be removed during the baby’s sleep time.”

JPMA reminds parents and child care providers to place full-term, healthy babies to sleep on their backs or sides and not to place infants to sleep on top of soft surfaces not specifically designed for infant sleep. JPMA made this recommendation in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Public Health Service (PHS) and other agencies.

“There is absolutely no suffocation risk to infants when nursery products such as cribs mattress, mattress pads, quilts, comforters and bumper pads are used according to manufacturers’ recommendations,” says MacMillan.

If you have any questions about safe sleeping practices for infants, call the U.S. Public Health Service at 1-800-505 CRIB or the SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Alliance at 1-800-221-7437.

For a free brochure on safe selection and use of juvenile products, send a stamped, self-addressed business-size envelope to: JPMA Safety Brochure, 236 Royte 38-West, Suite 100, Moorestown, NJ 08057.

JPMA sponsors Baby Safety Month each September to help educate parents and child care providers on the safe selection and use of all baby products.

JPMA is a national trade organization of more than 250 companies in Canada and the United States. These companies manufacture and/or import infant products such as cribs, car seats, strollers, bedding and a wide range of accessories and decorative items.

As spring arrives so does the urge to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. That means taking the kids for walks around the block or to the local park to burn off some steam. But as you take the kids out, remember that traffic injuries are the leading cause of death and a major factor in the hospitalization of children under the age of 14. Many of these injuries result from children getting hit by vehicles.

Here are some interesting facts:

• Boys are injured as pedestrians nearly twice as often as girls.
• Lower income children are at greater risk.
• Children under the age of 9 show little awareness of the dangers of crossing the road. Young children are unable to determine when it is safe to cross the street because they have not yet developed the abilities to do so.

Did you know that?

• Injuries are most likely to occur during the evening rush hour from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
• Areas with high traffic volumes, higher than average speeds, and fewer crossing signals put children at increased risk.
• Studies have found that more than half of the pedestrian injuries to children under 9 years of age result from children darting out into the street without warning.
• Fatigue and lack of attention increase the risk of children suffering a pedestrian injury on the way home from school.

Preventing Pedestrian Injuries
Here are some simple tips that’ll keep your children and the children in your care safe from harm.

• Children under 9 should always be accompanied by alert adults when crossing the street.
• Teach children to look left, right, then left again before stepping out into the street. Children should only proceed when there are no oncoming cars in either direction.
• Children should always walk on the sidewalk. If there are no sidewalks, pedestrians should walk facing traffic.
• Teach children to recognize pedestrian crossing signals. Remind them to continue across if the light changes to “Don’t Walk” while they are in the crosswalk.
• Drivers need to always be alert for children and adhere to speed limits.