CHILD CARE I

ERGONOMICS OF CHILD CARE

• Ergonomics is the study of particulars job being done by a particular
person in a particular environment. Ergonomics draws on the
knowledge of biophysical science (such as physiology, kinesiology and
biomechanics), Psychology and sociology to improve the design of the
workplace and work processes. It is the other term for “Human
Engineering”
Role of Caregiver
1. To provide children with stimulating environment in which to grow
and develop physically, intellectually and socially.
2. To respond to children behavior by altering the childcare
environment in a way that benefits the children.
For example:
• If a child appears lonely and isolated, the caregiver might guide
and help the child, to join a group activity, or caregiver who observes
that a child is getting hurt from playing with a defective toy could
respond by applying first aid and removing the toy involved.
Caregiver’s roles include
3 basic process
1. Sensation
• Senses are considered to be the window of the world. It is the process of
gathering information about the surroundings. It is the observation and
interaction with the children in the center of family day care home.
2. Perception
• Perception is the cognitive way of knowing about the world. It is the complex
process that depends on both surrounding, world and the perceives. It is the
mental review of the situation if things are going well.
3. Action
• It is the words or action to correct any perceived problems.
ORGANIZATION OF WORK
The way work is organized may affect the caregiver’s performance and
health.

For examples, a high staff:

Child ratio will affect the quality of the children’s care, as well as
the caregiver’s health.
Factors that affect an individual performance,
overall health and psychological well-being:
1. Stress induce health problem. Stress develops if caregiver’s capacity to
monitor children is exceeded.
2. Job satisfaction. It includes management-staff relations, wages, and
opportunity for continuing education.

• Caregivers are directly involved in children’s daily activities. The work

requires repeated lifting, bending, and carrying of equipment and children.
Caregivers may also endure the discomfort of spending time in child-size
furniture and activity center.
• For caregivers of infant and toddlers there are increased in physical
demands and lot of time spent on the floor with the children. The very
physical and constantly demanding nature of this work influences both the
caregiver’s physical and emotional well-being.
THE ROLE OF PARENTS IN CHILD CARE

• Developing a strong relationship

High quality childcare program can make valuable contribution to children’s
development. However the most important contributors to children’s development
in their early, impressionable years are the parents. A strong relationship between
the caregiver and the parents contributes to high quality care for the child.
Establishing and maintaining a relationship that is based on mutual respect is the
responsibility of both the caregiver and parents.
Parent have valuable and important role to play in the child’s care setting
they should encourage to become as involves as possible in programs. Parent’s
participation on a child care center’s board of directors or parent advisory
committee can give parents a role in developing policies and programs, and in
making staffing and management decisions. If there is no formal way for parents to
get involved in a child care program’s decision-making (as is the case of many
programs), staff can, at the very least, keep parents well informed at all times.
THE ROLE OF PARENTS IN CHILD CARE
• Information sharing
Parents need to know the child care center’s regulations, standards and guidelines,
as well as the program, philosophy, policies and procedures. This information is necessary
for parents to make informed child care sources. In turn parents can provide caregivers
with a wealth of information and insights of all the aspects of their child’s life, home
environment, personality and temperament.
Once the child has been enrolled in a program, caregivers are an important
resource for parents concerning their child’s development, the program, and the child’s
progress. Caregivers can also support the family in crisis. If there are problems that require
outside help, caregivers can suggest resources and suitable agencies that the family can get
help.
Caregivers can make commitment on their jobs to enhance, enlighten and
strengthen the family unit, childcare services and their community. The commitment to
parents has been outlined, for example, by the Manitoba Child Care Associations in its
Code of Ethics publication. With this kind of understanding, parents and communities will
be better equipped to advocate for improvements in childcare.
Groups and individuals that interact with
childcare:
1. Immediate relationships
2. Fundamental required relationships
3. Educational institutions
4. Other community relationships
5. Childcare network
6. Professionals
THE IMPORTANCE OF DAILY COMMUNICATION

• Daily communication between parents and caregiver is important. If

daily conversations are not always possible, other ways of
communicating can be used. For example, many childcare programs
have a daily log that is used for communication between parents and
staff. This is particularly important for infants and toddlers. In
addition, daily messages can be relayed through bulletin or
chalkboards, or written notes can be placed on children’s mailbox or
cubicles. Less urgent information can be relayed by newsletters, fact
sheets or at parents/staff meeting. Staff may also wish to book a time
to talk with parents by telephone
CAREGIVER’S RESPONSIBILITIES IN PROMOTION OF
PRODUCTIVE COMMUNICATION:
1. Be aware that effective communication requires skill in both sending and
receiving messages.
 Verbal: for e.g., words and tone of voice
 Written
 Nonverbal: for e.g., facial expression, eye contact, and body language
2. Recognize the high – stress anxiety potential of most settings created in part
by:
 Health problem itself
 Exclusive behavior of personnel
 Foreign environment
 Change in lifestyle, body image, and self-concept
 Inability to use normal coping skills such as exercise or talking with friends
3. Recognize the intrinsic word of each person
 Listen, consider wishes when possible, and explain when necessary
 Avoid stereotyping, snap judgments, and unjustified comparisons
 Be non-judgmental and no-punitive in responsive behavior

4. Be aware that each individual must be treated as a whole person.

5. Recognize that all behavior has meaning and usually results from the
attempt to cope with stress or anxiety.
 Be aware of importance of value system
 Be aware of significance of cultural differences
 Be sensitive to personal meaning of experiences to children
 Recognize that giving information may not alter the children’s behavior
 Recognize the defense mechanisms that the child is using
 Recognize own anxiety and cope with it
 Search for pattern of adaptation to base action
5. Recognize the child’s previous pattern of behavior may become
inadequate and under stress
- Health problems may produce a change in family or community
constellations.
- Health problems may lead to change in self – perception and role
identity

6. Help the child to accept problems and its consequences.

7. dentity the child’s needs and determine priority of care.

8. Maintaining and accepting open environment

 Accept child but set limits on inappropriate behavior
 Identify and face problems honestly
 Value the expression of feelings
 Be non-judgmental
9. When possible, encourage children’s participation in decision making
10. Recognize the child as a unique person.
 Use names rather than labels
 Maintain the child’s dignity
 Be courteous towards the child’s family and visitors
 Protect the child’s (privacy by using curtains and avoidance of probing
 Permit personal possessions when practical (e.g., nightclothes ,pictures,
toys)
 Encourage expression of feelings
 Approach the child as a person with difficulties, not as a “difficult
person”

11. Support a social environment that focuses on child’s needs

 Be flexible in carrying out routines and policies
 Be discreet in use of powers
Establishing a Standard of Care
• Each provincial or government has legislated standards for the provision of childcare. To
ensure a minimum standard of childcare, provincial/territorial regulations must address
health and safety issues, staff qualifications, staff qualifications, staff: child ratios, group
sizes, appropriate developmental programming and parental involvement.

• While some Provincial/territorial governments have introduces standards for all of these
issues, other governments have not introduced comprehensive regulations.

• Standards vary significantly among provinces or territories. Where a specific licensing

standard is significantly higher than community norm, the childcare office may modify its
regulation on specific issue to more closely approximate the community standard. This
has been done to provide childcare services and is not intended to undermine the future
development of the community, including childcare services. The primary consideration
of all Canadian childcare standards, however, should be to ensure safe, healthy and
developmentally appropriate environments.
The Role of Government in Child Care

• As childcare evolves, becoming an essential service for more

Canadian families, it presents major issues for government at all
levels-municipals, provincial/territorial and federal. Group that
advocate and lobby for childcare, professional associations, and
families in need for childcare are placing many demands on
government with respect to quality, affordability and availability of
childcare for all families.
What Responsibilities Do Governments have for
Child Care?
• Child care is a provincial/territorial responsibility with various levels of
federal/provincial governments. Each province and territory has
independently developed its own programs, accounting for the wide
variation in approaches across the country. Child care advocacy and
professional groups want a national child care policy that will provide the
framework to ensure all Canadians can have access or high quality child
care.
• Whatever form Canada’s child care system finally takes the support of
government at all levels will be critical. Government must assume the
responsibility for ensuring the consistent, minimum standard of quality
adequate monitoring, financial support, training standards and
opportunities and support for the continued growth and development of
services to meet variety of needs. Government can also participate in
public education about child care options.
Maintaining Standards
Defining a minimum standard operation is the first step in creating child
care of acceptable quality. This involves thorough research, public consultation and
public education. The second step is to ensure adequate education and training.
The third step is to License, monitor and enforce a system that will ensure that the
standard is being maintained.
Licensing, monitoring and enforcement are major responsibilities of
government staff or designates. To do the job well, governments need an adequate
number of staff that are trained in early childhood education and can assume
responsibility for evaluating programs. However across Canada, licensing
responsibilities are often assigned to government staff that may not have training
on early childhood education.
The ratio of licensing and monitoring government personnel to the number
of child care centers and family day care homes varies greatly across Canada.
In several regions, the personnel who monitor the childcare facilities are
staffs who have responsibilities other than child care. Some province require that
government personnel visit each program a minimum of four times a year; others
require only one visit annually and others have no guidelines regarding the number
of visit. In addition, the function to be performed during these visits may not well
be defined. Canada has attained the basic knowledge and skills to enter the
profession.
THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Sponsorship of Agencies
• Government/Public Health System
Example:
1. International: World Health Organization (WHO)
2. National
 Canada: Department of National Health and Welfare
3. State or Provincial
 Canada: Provincial Department of Health; each province/territory has the
freedom to how its share of hospital or medical cost will be financed (e.g.,
premiums in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Yukon)
4. Local: country or city department of health, fire department, police
department