Blog For October 27th, 2008

For the last few blogs entries I have highlighted some of the new or crucial features of the reenacted Article 47 New York City Child Care Regulations for child care center programs.

Typically most child care programs are so burdened with day to day administrative tasks it is almost impossible to find an extra moment to read new materials. However it is crucial that you have this information. These are ongoing operational procedures that you won’t be able to correct when it’s time for program review. And, as always, not strictly adhering to regulations in the operation of your center exposes you to greater liability if there is an accident or mistake.

Section 47.31 of the regulations describes a child care center’s responsibility in regards to medication administration. It states that: “A child care center is required to establish a written policy as to whether it will or will not administer medication to children and incorporate that policy in the center’s health care plan”. It further states that “if a center chooses to administer medications to children it shall designate a health care consultant of record, who shall be a health care provider as defined in this Article. The permittee (child care program) shall confer with the health care consultant and shall obtain approval of the consultant for the portion of the health care plan regarding policies and procedures related to the administration of medications”.
Section 47.31 is a couple of pages of information regarding the administration of medication to children, but I strongly urge you to read the entire section. The regulations can be found on the DOHMH website www.nyc.gov/dohmh

In plain English, the regulation is advising centers that if you choose to administer medication to children upon the request of their parents, you must engage a health care consultant who is recognized by DOHMH. This consultant will help you to develop a medication administration plan that will meet the approval of the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The plan must include staff that has MAT (Medication Administration Training) certification in order to administer medication.

Of course centers have a right to choose not to administer medication. If you make that decision it should be clearly stated in your operational policies and procedures. However working parents often find themselves facing circumstances where they need the child care center’s help and support in administering a daily or hourly medication. If, after careful consideration of the pros and cons of medication administration you decide yes, CCR&R programs in NYC have both approved consultants and MAT trainers. They will be able to expertly guide you through the entire process. One such program, Child Development Support Corporation CCR&R can be reached at 718-398-6738 or www.cdscnyc.org

CCBCNY Blog for October 14, 2008

Section 47.11 of Article 47 is a new requirement that requires child care centers to submit a written safety plan. According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene the written safety plan is intended to serve as the standard operating policies and procedures for the safe operation of a child care service. Every child care center must submit a safety plan and have it approved by DOHMH before a permit will be issued.

The plan should explain how the requirements of Article 47 are to be implanted with respect to:

• Medical supervision and health of children
• Medication Administration
• Facility Operation
• Maintenance
• Fire Safety
• Specific Activity Safety
• Staff Training
• Parent/Child Orientation
• Proper Supervision
  

The DOHMH says that an initial plan must be reviewed and approved for all new permit applicants and the plan must be updated as necessary when permits are renewed. As you can see from the topics, the health and safety of the children is the main focus. While at first blush these requirements sound stringent, I’m sure that they will prove very helpful to you in the day to day operation of your business. Every business should have a written operating plan that describes their process for getting things done.

We probably all remember playing the game “telephone “ when we were children. The objective of the game was to demonstrate that we each hear and interpret things differently; so that invariably the original message is completely different at the other end of the line. Because information that is shared verbally might be misunderstood, written policies and instructions will ensure that each parent and staff receive the very same basic information or message in order to avoid confusion.

DOHMH has a specific format for writing your safety plan so you should ask your education consultant for the format before writing the plan.