Dec 06, 2023
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
December is the biggest gift-giving month of the year.
Keep these safety tips in mind as your program purchases or receives new items:
- Inspect toys before you buy them, or if new, before letting children use them. Look for sharp edges, small parts or parts that
could be easily removed. Be cautious of items with button batteries,
cords, ropes, magnets
or ones that can heat up.
- Toys are age-rated for safety so be sure the age and skill level marked on the toy matches that of the child(ren) using it.
- Check labels to make sure items are lead-free, non-toxic and up to ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards.
This is also a good time inspect what you already have to make sure it's still in good working condition and still safe for the children to use.
Visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for information on the latest recalls and to sign up for their customizable recall email list.
Be sure to share this information with families through a newsletter, bulletin board, fact sheet or text/email.
Happy holidays and safe gift giving and receiving!
Dec 04, 2023
Salmonella Outbreak causes Cantaloupe Recall
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Food Safety Alert regarding an outbreak of
Salmonella infections linked to cantaloupes.
Malichita and Rudy brand whole cantaloupes have been recalled. They might have a sticker on them that says "Malichita" or "Rudy"
with the number "4050", and the "Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique". Several pre-cut fruit products have been made with the
recalled whole cantaloupe. A complete list of the recalled food can be
found on the CDC website.
As of November 28, 2023, 117 people in 34 states (including NY) have gotten sick. Several have been hospitalized and there have
been two reported deaths. The CDC is concerned about this outbreak because illnesses are severe and people in long-term care facilities
and childcare centers have gotten sick.
To protect your program from the salmonella outbreak you should:
- NOT USE any recalled whole or pre-cut cantaloupe;
- NOT SERVE any cantaloupe that was supplied pre-cut if you don't know if recalled whole cantaloupes were used;
- Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the cantaloupe using hot soapy water or a dishwasher; and
- Call a health care provider if you or anyone in your program has severe Salmonella symptoms.
If you have questions about any cases in New York, please contact the NYS Department of Health (DOH).
Dec 01, 2023
Handwashing Awareness Month
Flu and other winter-related illness season is upon us. The easiest, cheapest and most effective way to prevent the spread of germs is
proper handwashing.
That's why NYS Child Day Care Regulations require you,
and the children, to thoroughly wash hands with soap and running water when they are dirty, after toileting or assisting children with toileting,
before and after food handling or eating, after handling pets or other animals, after contact with any bodily secretion or fluid, and after coming
in from outdoors. Additionally, you are required to wash your hands with soap and water at the beginning of each day, before and after the
administration of medications and after changing a diaper.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list
five steps to properly wash hands: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, dry.
Remember, hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol can be used on hands when soap and water are not readily available.
But remember, they don't get rid of all types of germs, so use them when you need to but wash with soap and water as soon as you can.
The CDC website has downloadable resources designed to help raise awareness about the importance of handwashing
at key times in both homes and public settings.
Be sure to visit the NYS Department of Health website for more
information about seasonal influenza for children and adolescents.
Wishing you a healthy winter season!