Explain How To Establish And Maintain A Safe And Healthy Learning Environment

A responsible competent early childhood care provider creates and maintains a safe and healthy learning environment. They plan a space with developmental appropriate materials, implement safety practices, routines, and procedures, and are trained to prevent, respond and recognize emergency situations, injuries, illnesses, accidents, and abuse. Also early childhood care providers understand the importance of a positive, loving atmosphere, of good nutrition and gather resources for children and parents In creating a safe and engaging learning space for children to learn and grow, one must first plan divided areas for various interests of the children called centers. Those centers should reflect age appropriate materials that encourage exploration, constructing, and real life play. Materials should stimulate the senses, should be open ended, rich in experiences and diversity that promote
optimal learning. One should use low shelves for storage of materials for safety, and for easy supervision of the children. Low shelves help children achieve self autonomy. Also creating an open traffic flow around center will help prevent accidents and injuries. Safety is always the priority in the space. The space should be attractive and have a home like feeling that reflects various cultures and diversity. Be sure to create a space for parents, emergency plans, important phone numbers and resource information to share with parents. One should have a balance of quiet and active centers, wet and dry centers, cooperative and solitary play centers and a schedule with a balance of inside and outside play. Outside space, the playground should have a variety of well maintained equipment, safe structures to climb on, swings and should have some type of mulch or fine gravel in the fall area. It should have a balance of shade and sunny areas, soft and hard surfaces, and grassy and concreted areas and also an area for solitary play. To maintain a safe, healthy, learning, environment one must keep the inside and outside areas free for debris, hazards, chemicals or other harmful materials. Cleaning and sanitizing regularly maintains a safe and healthy environment by avoiding the spread of infectious disease. One should store cleaners and medical supplies in a locked storage cabinet to avoid accidental ingestion. Ensure that safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and first-aid kits are in place and operational. Also know how to use this equipment and practice emergency procedures, such as fire drills and tornado drills. Being prepared can save lives by having emergency contact numbers ready available for the appropriate agencies. First-aid and CPR training are very good tools for an early childhood care provider to have, because it is important to know how to handle emergency situations, injures, illnesses, accidents, and abuse. It is also important to be compassionate and loving to children when providing care of an injuries, illnesses, and be sensitive to their fears and reassure them. Children need a loving, safe, healthy environment.
One way to achieve this is to create a predictable schedule with safety rules and perform routine healthy checks that provide children with all their basic needs. Good nutrition promotes growth with good healthy meals and snacks, and one should share information about nutrition with parents. This is another way to achieve safe, healthy environment for children. A competent care provider uses proper precautions, such as wearing and disposing of gloves properly, washing hands before and after toileting practices, and before preparing food. This prevents the spread of infectious disease. The provider also teaches children good hygiene practices by posting signs above sinks and toilets with pictures that models these practices. Always follow proper procedures in identifying the signs of abuse by documenting abuse evidence and markings, and reporting abuse also shows responsibility and competency. Children need and deserve to be in a safe, healthy, loving environment free from physical, emotional, sexual, and neglectful
abuse. Children grow and thrive with a safe, healthy, learning environment. They reap the benefits from an environment with opportunities to explore, construct, and create. Children become engaged with developmental appropriate materials that keep their safety and well being in mind. Children need to have all their needs fulfilled to promote optimal learning. It is an early childhood care provider’s responsibility and duty to fulfill these needs by practicing safety procedures and routines, responding, recognizing, and preventing emergency situations, injuries, illnesses, accidents, and abuse. Finally an early childhood care provider educates, communicates, and assists children and parents with resource information in a positive, loving and understanding atmosphere to create and maintain a safe, healthy, learning environment for all children no matter race, culture, disability or social economically status.