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| For Immediate Release | Contact: Frances Squire |
| Sept. 14, 2009 | Phone: (559) 934-2134 |
Education and cleaning are key to avoiding flu at child development centers
Education is the key to helping prevent flu—especially in young children in preschools and child development centers, according to Kathy Watts, director of seven of those centers for West Hills Community College District.
“We constantly work to educate our parents, our staff and the children in our centers,” Watts said.
“Education about good health habits, including eating well, getting exercise and getting plenty of sleep are ingrained in our curriculum,” Watts said.
“When parents bring their child or children in, their first stop is to wash hands before signing in,” she added. “That’s the beginning of hand washing that goes on throughout the day—probably at least 10 times a day for children and staff.”
Staff members are also constantly cleaning, she said, including all doorknobs and restrooms each time there is a change in children in a classroom (which in some classrooms means four-times a day cleaning).
Parents are also educated to look for signs of illness and keep their children home if they’re sick, she said.
“Sick children are sent home immediately,” she noted, “and those with fever are not allowed back without a doctor’s note. If the parent chooses not to send the child to a doctor, the child must be fever-free for five days.”
“On a daily basis, we’re aware of the risk for disease transmission between children,” Watts said. “We’re just stepping up our efforts during flu season—especially in light of the ease of transmission of swine flu.”
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West Hills Community College District serves the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and is part of the California Community College System. Its two colleges, West Hills College Coalinga, which includes North District Center, Firebaugh, and West Hills College Lemoore, serve more than 7,000 students on campus and online each semester.