At Milestones Early Learning Centres, we believe that child safety is everyone’s responsibility. We are committed to upholding the safety, rights and wellbeing of all children and promote a culture of child safety with a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse and harm.
Our centre follows thorough cleaning procedures on a daily basis. Handwashing is one of the most effective methods in minimising the spread of infection. Educators, children, families and visitors are encouraged to wash their hands throughout the day, and at arrival and departure times. Sanitising gel is available in the foyer for your use.
Our centre promotes sun safe behaviours and follows guidelines as recommended by SunSmart in each state and territory. Throughout the day, our educators will re-apply children’s sunscreen, or encourage older children to re-apply, at least 20 minutes prior to sun exposure.
We’re proudly accredited by the Australian Breastfeeding Association and offer an inviting space for mothers to drop in and breastfeed at any time during the day. Alternatively, families can bring clearly labelled bottles of expressed breastmilk for their children.
Families can provide formula for their children in a few ways:
Your child will be offered the opportunity to rest and sleep throughout the day. Individual routines will be accommodated where possible, and your child’s daily rest and sleep activity will be communicated with you.
Our centre believes that children sleep when they need it, so your child will not be forced to sleep, or woken from sleep.
Safe sleeping practices will be followed for all babies in cots. Individual calming and soothing techniques can be discussed with your child’s educator.
It is important that you provide our centre with the contact details of at least two people who may be contacted to collect your child in the event of an emergency or illness, in which you are uncontactable. These people can be the same as the authorised persons.
Our educators have been trained in emergency evacuation procedures. From time to time, evacuation drills will be practised to familiarise the children with emergency practices. In the event of a real emergency evacuation, you will be notified as soon as possible.
In the event your child is involved in a minor incident, educators will comfort them, administer first aid as appropriate, and complete an incident form. You will be notified of the incident and asked to read and sign the incident form on collection of your child.
If the incident involves injury to your child’s head or face or if your child is unable to be consoled, you will be notified immediately.
In the event an incident of a more serious nature occurs, which is beyond minor first aid, educators will call an ambulance and then notify you. Educators will complete an incident report which you will be asked to read and sign upon your arrival at the centre.
Where the attending medical officers deem it necessary, they will transport your child to a hospital for treatment. If you, or another authorised person, has not arrived at the centre by this time, your child’s educator or Centre Manager will travel in the ambulance with your child and remain with them at the hospital. Families will be liable for any ambulance or medical costs incurred.
Any serious incident must be reported by our centre to our Regulatory Authority. If you seek medical attention following an incident at our centre, please notify the Centre Manager, as we are obliged to report this occurrence within a 24-hour period.
As an important step in the control of infection, we ask that if your child is unwell, that you keep them at home and inform the centre of their condition. Children cannot attend if they have been given paracetamol or ibuprofen in the morning before arrival at the centre.
If your child becomes ill while at our centre, you will be contacted and requested to collect them. If you are uncontactable, an authorised person will be contacted. This is to ensure your child receives the care they need and to minimise the risk of infection to others.
Children who have had a contagious illness, or suspected contagious condition, will require a letter from a medical practitioner stating they are fit and clear to return to the centre.
If your child is absent you will be required to confirm their absence/s on the digital kiosk on the next day of attendance at the centre. Regular fees will be charged for absent days.
Medication may be administered on the advice of a medical professional. Any medication that you request to be administered to your child, either prescribed or over the counter, must be specifically for your child. Only medication with a clearly legible dispensing label will be administered and must contain the following details:
A medication authorisation form must be completed and signed by you, or the person delivering your child to the centre including the previous time and date of dose and then signed on collection of your child. The information you provide on the medication authorisation form must match that of the dispensing label.
Please hand the medication over to an educator on arrival each morning for correct and safe storage. Medication is not to be left in your child’s bag.
An important inclusion in our enrolment form is your authorisation to the administration of a single dose of children’s liquid paracetamol where your child develops a temperature.
In the event your child develops an elevated temperature, 38°C or higher, throughout the course of the day, our educators will take measures to try to reduce the temperature. However, if these measures are unsuccessful at bringing down the temperature, you will be notified and requested to collect your child. At this time, our educators will seek your verbal permission with a witness to administer one dose of children’s liquid paracetamol following the directions on the label prior to you collecting your child.
If your child has an ongoing medical or health condition it is your responsibility to disclose this on enrolment, or as soon as the condition becomes diagnosed.
Our Centre Manager will issue you with a copy of our medical conditions procedure (and asthma, anaphylaxis/allergy or diabetes procedures if applicable) and assist you to enrollment complete a medical management, risk minimisation and communication plan in conjunction with your child’s doctor which is communicated to all educators who care for your child.
You will be notified of any symptoms or change in your child’s health. Educators will follow your child’s medical management plan to treat symptoms in your child, including calling an ambulance as required. Where the onset of symptoms is sudden, or where time is critical, an ambulance will be called prior to you being contacted. If attending medical officers advise hospital treatment, our Centre Manager or your child’s educator will travel in the ambulance with your child and remain with them in hospital, if you or another authorised person are not present. Families will be liable for any medical or ambulance costs incurred.
