Infants
Welcome to the Brown Bear Educare
INFANT PROGRAM
As a childcare provider, I can only imagine the task you have at hand to
choose a childcare provider for your precious infant. We can assure you that
the staff at Brown Bear Educare strives to offer the absolute highest quality
of childcare possible. Though we have most likely answered most of your
questions in the verbal interview, this Orientation Packet was written to help
you transition into our program.
CAN I VISIT MY CHILD AND BREASTFEED?
Absolutely! We encourage our infant parents to visit their child if they wish
to do so. We have a nice cozy chair in which mothers may relax during their
lunch break and visit their child.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE?
Parents should provide several changes of clothing to be kept at school. Your
child will also need diapers and wipes. Though we have plenty of blankets at
school, you are welcome to bring your own. All food will be provided by you.
The health care policies below, clearly state the food requirements. Bottles
from home must be labeled with your child’s name.
HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT MY CHILD HAS DONE DURING THE DAY?
Your child’s teacher will provide you with a daily report. The report will
indicate how much your child ate and when he/she had diaper changes. The
teacher will also remark on any other activities your child may have done
during the day.
DO BABIES REALLY SOCIALIZE?
YES!!! One advantage to choosing group care for your child is that your child
will have the opportunity to start building friendships at a very young age.
Even infants at 6 months know who their friends are. They learn from and even
compete with each other.
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TEACHERS ARE ALLOWED TO DO AND NOT ALLOWED TO DO?
Our Health Care Policies are provided to you and posted in the Baby Bear Room.
These policies are required guidelines by the State of Washington and are
designed to help us to provide the best quality of care for your child. Our
Infant Health Care Policies are as follows:
INFANT CARE
In order to maintain a healthy environment for our infants, we follow required
Washington State guidelines below:
Age: We only enroll infants in our center who are at least one month of age or
older.
Environment: Our infant room has a separate, safe play area for infants.
Non-mobile infants are kept safe from mobile infants. Time in swings or other
confining equipment must not exceed 30 minutes for every 4 hours.
Sleeping: We provide a single level crib, bassinet, infant bed, or portable
crib for napping. We consult with each parent when we feel a child can safely
“graduate” to using a mat or cot.
To reduce the risk of SIDS, we lay children on their backs to sleep. Parents
must sign a waiver if they wish us to lay their child on their tummy to sleep.
However, we are not required to turn a baby back on their back if they roll
over on their own.
Bedding: Crib sheets & blankets are provided by Brown Bear Educare. Parents
may provide a special blanket for their child if they wish. Bedding is washed
weekly by Brown Bear Educare or more often if needed.
Infant Medication: A physician’s consent must be documented for any medication
to be given to a child under the age of two. We recommend that parents provide
Baby Tylenol and/or teething pain relief medication with the physician’s note
be given to the baby teacher upon your child’s enrollment. While we understand
that obtaining physician’s consent forms for over-the-counter medication can
be a hassle, Brown Bear Educare is REQUIRED by the STATE of WASHINGTON to
enforce these policies. Physician’s consents to medication can be faxed to
Brown Bear Educare at (425) 671-0221.
FEEDING
During infancy, one of the most important things an adult can do is to give an
infant a feeling of trust. Responding quickly to an infant’s needs can do
this.
While caring for infants, the staff members of Brown Bear Educare are required
by law to follow the practices listed below:
Infant Feeding: All babies will be fed on demand, amount as well as frequency.
No baby will be limited in formula or food with out a physician’s note. A
clean bottle must be used for each feeding. Bottles may not be re-used. If
using a disposable system, a clean nipple must be used for each feeding.
Consistent Responses: We provide a consistent response to the infant’s needs
and feed the infant on demand.
Overfeeding: When feeding and infant we watch for cues to know when the infant
has had enough. These cues include not longer sucking on nipple, lengthy
pauses, or turning head away from the bottle.
Handling Formula: We use care when handling infant formula and food to prevent
food borne illness. Dehydration caused by food poisoning can be life
threatening to infants. No medicine will be added to bottles.
Baby Food is to be feed out of bowls, not jars. We never heat jars in the
microwave. No partially eaten food is to be returned to the jar. We are not
allowed to give solid foods to a baby under the age of 4 months.
To provide safe, nutritious food, we follow the following procedures.
Labeling: When Parents provide infant foods, we ask the food be labeled with
the child’s name and the date. All breast milk and formula are labeled with
child’s name, current date, and time of preparation.
Food Storage:
Powdered formula in cans is to be dated when opened, stored in a cool dark
place, and discarded or sent home within 1 month after opening.
Refrigeration: All breast milk and formula is refrigerated immediately after
mixing, feeding, and upon arrival at the center.
Bottles and warmed unused formula will be discarded after 1 hour to prevent
bacterial growth. No bottle which has been in an infant’s mouth, will be saved
for over an hour. It will not be reheated or returned to the refrigerator. It
must be discarded. All unused prepared formula will be discarded at the end of
each day. All bottles will be sent home at the end of each day and are to be
returned, clean the next day.
Food Preparation:
Hand Washing: A separate food preparation sink is provided, away from diaper
changing/hand washing area. Before preparing formula or food, staff washes
their hands, and cleans and disinfects preparation surfaces.
Mixing Formula: Powdered formula prepared at the center will be mixed only as
needed.
Heating Formula: Bottles are to be heated using a crock-pot. We do not heat
formula, breast milk, or baby food in a microwave oven. The use of a microwave
oven for this purpose might pose a safety concern, and could compromise the
essential components of breast milk.
Frozen Breast Milk: Frozen breast milk will be thawed overnight in a
refrigerator and warmed in lukewarm water just prior to feeding. Frozen breast
milk which has been stored for more than 3 months or that is not dated will
not be accepted. Thawed breast milk will be refrigerated and used within 3
hours. Thawed breast milk will not be refrozen.
Requires a Physician’s Note: We are not allowed to do the following without a
physician’s written consent:
1. Dilute formula, or use Pedialiyte, rice milk/water, goat’s milk, BRAT diet
or allergy diet.
2. Add cereal to formula in bottles.
3. Give juice in bottles.
4. Give more that 4 to 6 ounces of juice to a child that is at least 6 months
of age in a sippy cup.
Diet:
Allergies: A note from a child’s health care provider is required if an infant
is to be on limited food/formula intake, diluted formula, Pedialyte, or any
type of elimination (allergy) diet.
Children less than 12 months: No egg whites or raw honey will be given to
infants less than 12 months of age. Whole milk is not recommended for children
under 12 months of age.
Children less than 6 months: Formula or breast milk is required and encouraged
up to 12 months.
Children 4 to 6 months: Solids are discouraged before 4-6 months without
consulting a health care provider about food allergy risks.
Children 10 months of age: Chopped, safe table foods and using cups and spoons
are encouraged after 10 months of age. Changing food textures is necessary to
meet and infant’s developmental and nutritional needs.
Children 12 months of Age: Around 1 year of age, when a child can drink from a
cup, formula is replaced with whole milk upon the child’s doctor’s
recommendation. 2 percent milk is used only with physician consent.
Children 18 months of age: Bottle-feeding will be discouraged after 18 months
of age.
Eating Utensils:
Sanitizing: Bottles, nipples, and other eating utensils cleaned at the center
will be washed in a dishwasher with a water temperature of at least 150º F.
Bottle Feeding: Infants will be held when fed until they are able to hold a
bottle or drink from a cup. Bottles will not be propped. Infants will only be
allowed to have a bottle in bed if it is filled with water. Children will not
be allowed to walk around with bottles.
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