Do you know what to do if you suspect a child is being abused or neglected?

As an agency employee, you are a mandated reporter and must report the suspected abuse. In Umatilla and Morrow Counties, you would call the child abuse hotline. The HOTLINE can be accessed using either the toll free number or the Boardman office phone number as listed below.

The toll free Child Abuse HOTLINE number for Umatilla and Morrow counties is 1-800-547-3897. The Boardman DHS office number is 481-9482.

In Grant County, 877-877-5081 toll free (Dedicated child abuse hotline).

In Wallowa County, 541-426-4558 local or 866-538-5804 toll free (Main office numbers).

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO REACH DHS, PLEASE REPORT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

When reporting, you should also fill out the Child Abuse Reporting Form, and if a child is removed by DHS or law enforcement a Child Removal Form should be filled out.

PLEASE BE SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF WHERE THESE FORMS ARE KEPT AT YOUR SITE, AND OR HOW TO ACCESS THEM IF NEED BE.

If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact Krista Olson, Mental Health Manager, at 541-922-5574.

TIP #2

Do you know what to do when you observe something at your facility or with equipment that is unsafe or needs repair?

If a health or safety item can be taken care of by staff, such as unclogging a toilet or removing an unsafe item from the reach of children, this should be done as soon as possible.

All other health and safety concerns in regards to facilities or equipment should be immediately reported to your Team Leader or Site Supervisor. That person will in turn call your Operations Director for immediate assistance or fill out a work requisition form for repairs. If your Team Leader or Site Supervisor is unavailable and the concern needs immediate attention, staff should contact their Operations Director directly for assistance.

If you have any questions about what the system is for addressing facilities and equipment that are unsafe or need repair, please contact your site Operations Director, Penny Gibbs or Sheri Maze at 564-6878.

All staff, consultants, and Volunteers will abide by the program’s standards of conduct, which include:

1. Respect and promote the unique identity of each child and family and refrain from stereotyping on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, or disability;

2. Follow program confidentiality policies concerning information about children, families, and other staff members;

3. Leave no child alone or unsupervised while under the agency’s care, and

4. Use positive methods of child guidance and not engage in corporal punishment, emotional or physical abuse, or humiliation. In addition, not employ methods of discipline that involve isolation, the use of food as punishment or reward, or the denial of basic needs.

If you have questions in regards to the Standards of Conduct policy expectation please call or e-mail. Have a great weekend, Aaron Treadwell

TIP #4

What items are located in your classroom in the clear pocket to assist in the event of an emergency?

Emergency Medical Procedure (English and Spanish)

Emergency Dental Procedure (English and Spanish)

American Red Cross-Choking Poster (English and Spanish)

American Red Cross-CPR Poster (English and Spanish)

Childhood Emergency Flip-Chart-From Bull Publishing

Child Emergency Health Plans in the Confidential Red Folder(These need to be kept up to date at all times)

Sanitation Policies and Procedures Binder(or on bulletin board)

Please make sure these items and easy to access. Please don't use the clear pockets as storage.

When a child is to take a prescription or nonprescription medication at school, the Family Advocate/CFA or Health staff will send a Medication Administration Form (Asthma plan, Seizure protocol, Food allergy Form) to the child's attending health care provider directly or through parent/guardian. The parent will give medication until form is signed and returned. The Medication Administration Form is good for one year or the provider states the medication no longer needed on a given date. Before any medication is given we need to have this documentation from the doctor as well as the parent signature granting us permission to administer medication.

A Teacher/CFA will be designated to administer the medication. When the teacher or CFA are unavailable there needs to be a plan in place to designate who will be administrating the mediation. After each medication administration, the Teacher/CFA or assigned staff person will record the following information on the Medication Log: the child's name, the name of the medication; the date, time and route (oral) of administration and reactions. The Teacher/CFA or assigned staff person will sign his/her name in the appropriate space corresponding to each medication administration on the Medication Log

TIP #7

Each toothbrush should be labeled with the child's or teachers name. (Placing clear tape over the name may prevent the name from smearing off) Racks must also be clearly labeled with the name of each child and teacher who have toothbrushes stored in the rack.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Amy Hendrix.

TIP #8

If you have a concern about a child's development, what is the process for referring them for a suspected disability?

When there is a concern about a child's development in any of the major domains of development (cognitive, adaptive, social/emotional, gross motor, fine motor, receptive language, or expressive language) according to screenings, assessments, or observations, education staff should complete the pre-referral checklist. If after completing this checklist, the concern is still exists, fill out an internal referral and submit to the Excecutive Director with a copy of the pre-referral checklist attached. Next, the education director and the appropriate education manager will work together to observe the child and determine the need for a referral for ESD assessment. During this process, we try to encourage the parent to make the referral in order to keep them an integral part of the process and to help them advocate for their child. In some cases, parents may request that Head Start directly refers the child. In these cases, the Family Advocate and/or classroom teacher/CFA needs to ensure that ESD is included on the Authorization of Release form. Then a copy of the Authorization of Release form should be sent to the Education Director, who will then refer the child directly to the ESD.

In cases where the concern in speech related, an internal referral may be filled out or the parent may be encouraged to make a direct referral without completing the pre-referral checklist.

And remember, through the entire process, remember to document, document, document in observations, assessments, screenings, and in progress notes!

If you have any other questions, please contact Cade Burnette.

TIP #9

Bleach solutions need to be mixed fresh each day before beginning food preparations in the kitchen and before children arrive in the center. The solution is to be mixed with cool water, as hot water inactivates it.

Bleach solutions should be mixed using the recipes found in the Cleaning Guidelines, attached below.

The solution used for food contact areas and toy sanitation is to measure between 50-100 ppm; concentrations over 200 ppm are considered toxic. To ensure the solution is mixed properly, test it with the bleach test strips (located in each of our kitchens) each time the solution is prepared.

The 50-100 ppm solution for kitchen wiping cloths will need to be mixed frequently throughout the day as dirt, soap, food and other contaminants deactivate the bleach. Solutions in the spray bottles are good for 24 hours.

The recipe for the 500-800 solution, used for disinfecting of diapering surfaces, bathrooms and handwashing sinks, also needs to be mixed fresh each day. It is important to follow this recipe as this solution is only tested by the Area Directors at monthly Health and Safety Monitors.

All containers and spray bottles containing the bleach solutions need to be labeled with the appropriate "Bleach Label" indicating 50-100 ppm or 500-800 ppm. Labels need to be changed as they become worn.

If you need new labels, contact Amy Hendrix.

TIP #10
How are center staff suppose to document the cleaning that occurs at their site?

We re-introduced the "Cleaning Log" in January as part of the feedback we received from the Health Consultant who assisted with Self Assessment. The new cleaning log (dry erase) was sent out to all the sites last month.

Each classroom needs to make sure the cleaning log is completed daily. The staff person responsible for each of the duties needs to initial after the cleaning is complete. All of the columns except the weekly column need to be completed daily as they are all duties that are required daily. The outdoor safety sweep needs to be completed prior to outdoor time daily. Please discuss with each of your team a process that works for your site.