Description:

Focuses on creating and maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for the young child. Students learn about the basic nutritional needs of children, good health practices, and accident prevention in the home and classroom.

Outcomes:

After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Discuss the historical and cultural perspectives of what constitutes health and the interrelationship between health, safety and nutrition
• Explain why keeping health records and understanding health inspections are necessary
• Identify basic physical disorders, common diseases and allergic processes of the young child and know when and how to seek help for a child with a health or safety concern
• Identify basic indoor and outdoor environmental safety guidelines
• Apply simple first aid techniques and procedures in case of emergency and understand when to use universal precautions
• Identify basic provisions and plans to assure safety during a natural disaster
• Identify various types of child abuse and the steps needed to make a report to Child Protective Services; name risk factors that contribute to child abuse and be familiar with resources for families suspected of child abuse
• Evaluate meal time environments for positive interactions, meal content, appeal, and child development principles; understand the principles of food safety and sanitation as they apply to providing safe food for young children of all cultures in a group setting\
• Plan a week’s menu for a childcare program which meets USDA and licensing requirements, taking into account basic nutritional concepts, cultural diversity, developmental needs and the needs of children with allergies
• Critically assess many of the complex, yet common, issues related to nutrition and health for the young child. Specific examples include: obesity, low-fat diets, finicky eaters, sugar and sugar substitutes, vegetarian diets
• Apply early childhood education principles to incorporate health, safety and nutrition education into the classroom and develop health, safety and nutrition activities for young children