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Child Safety


Many steps can be taken to keep our children safe and healthy, whether in the home or in day care environments. A number of day care requirements and regulations are aimed at keeping children healthy and safe, including:

Crib Dividers: In day care environments, cribs must be spaced at least 18 inches apart during use, or protective dividers provided between children.

Diaper Stations: Diaper stations are required in rooms where infants and 1-2-year-olds are cared for. Each diaper station must be easily cleanable, provide a handwash sink, soap, paper towels and a sign illustrating your diaper-changing procedure. After changing each child, the changing surface must be sprayed with soapy water and wiped clean with a paper towel. After cleaning the diapering surface, the surface must be sprayed with 100 PPM chlorine sanitizer and allowed to air-dry.

Infant Food Service Area: Child care centers preparing bottles in the infant room must provide an infant food service area. This area consists of the following:

  1. A refrigerator maintaining 45 degrees F or colder, with an accurate thermometer inside
  2. Adequate counter space to prepare and warm bottles, protected from hand-sink splash
  3. A hand sink, soap, paper towels and a handwash sign indicating that the station shall be used for handwashing only prior to feeding
  4. If formula or cereal requiring water is to be prepared, the water must be provided from a protected source such as bottled water, or water from a separate, designated food preparation sink.

Note: (18 inches of horizontal separation between a hand sink and food preparations, or splash-guarding between a hand sink and a food-preparation surface provides acceptable splash protection).

Medications & Hazardous Products: Medications and hazardous products in child care areas are required to be locked separately with a combination lock or a lock and key. Hazardous products are anything that could cause harm or serious injury to a child if ingested, inhaled or handled. They include, but are not limited to: products labeled “keep out of reach of children,” aerosols, petroleum products, poisons, mechanical hazards and high-voltage AC.

No-pinch hinge: These hinges reduce the potential for finger injury in the hinge side of a door.