Choosing a childcare centre with confidence
Most mothers agonise over the decision to leave their children in the care of others and return to work. It’s only natural to want peace of mind that your child is in an environment that is safe, engaging and hygienic.
Why cleaning standards matter in childcare
While safety and learning environments are often front of mind when selecting a childcare facility, cleaning standards are just as critical. Poor hygiene can directly impact a child’s health – and in turn, a parent’s ability to confidently return to work.
The impact of illness on working parents
Equal opportunity in the workplace is a given, and most employers are understanding. However, frequent calls to collect a sick child can quickly become disruptive. While occasional illness is expected, repeated instances can create real pressure for working parents.
Hygiene as a key decision factor
That’s why hygiene should be a central consideration when choosing a childcare provider. Consistent, high-quality cleaning practices help reduce the spread of illness and create a healthier environment for children.
Supporting a smooth return to work
Choosing a childcare centre with strong cleaning standards supports not only your child’s wellbeing, but also your peace of mind. It reduces unnecessary disruption and helps ensure your return to work is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Why hygiene is important in childcare centres
Kids will be kids. Even if they are closely watched, they are still likely to engage in lots of unhygienic behaviours such as putting toys and other unclean objects in their mouths. Kids of childcare age are still in the process of learning good personal hygiene habits, so they can’t be left to their own devices when it comes to maintaining their hygiene.
The childcare centre, therefore, has a responsibility to ensure that the kids aren’t exposed to dirt and germs. They have to make sure that all the surfaces, toys, and playground equipment in the childcare centre are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized every day.
Disease outbreaks are more likely to occur in childcare centres with questionable standards of hygiene. Young children of childcare age are still in the process of developing their own immune systems, which means that they are more susceptible to contagious illnesses.
It’s therefore imperative that childcare centres be kept in immaculate conditions to prevent the spread of disease-causing germs.
Good hygienic practices in childcare facilities
Proper childcare hygiene can only be achieved if surfaces and objects in the facility are cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected on a regular basis. Since the health of little children is at stake, cleaning alone will not suffice. Cleaning refers to the process of removing dirt from surfaces, sanitizing refers to getting rid of dirt and most germs, while the process of disinfection has the effect of obliterating all disease-causing microorganisms.
All the activity areas in a childcare centre must be cleaned once or more times daily. Floors in childcare centres tend to get soiled often, so they should be frequently vacuumed, swept, or mopped. The bathroom facilities at the centre should be cleaned and disinfected at least once every day.
Bathroom surfaces such as taps, sinks, flush handles, diaper bins, and toilet seats must be thoroughly disinfected as well. Areas where food is prepared and where the kids enjoy their meals and snacks must also be sanitized on a daily basis.
The linen or beddings that are used by kids while taking naps must be washed before they are assigned to a specific kid. All the cleaning products used in the childcare centre should be mild and safe for the kids.
Read Related: Childcare cleaning services: finding the right provider
How working mothers can tell if childcare centres are hygienic
If you are a working mother and you want to enrol your kid in a clean and sanitary childcare centre, you should ask about the centre’s hygienic practices when you meet with the administrators. Ask them how often the facility is cleaned, and what processes are used. Do they have a cleaning schedule they can show you? Do they make hygiene a priority?
Look around the play area of the childcare centre to see for yourself if it’s properly cleaned or if there are pieces of litter and dirty surfaces all over. Try to pay an impromptu visit to the childcare centre for the inspection, because the facility may be cleaned during scheduled visits for your benefit. Go into the bathroom and check if all the fixtures are cleaned, and if the nappy bin is properly secured.
Only enrol your kid in a childcare centre if you are absolutely satisfied with their hygienic practices. This will give you the peace of mind that you need to focus on your job and ensure that you are not needlessly held back in your career by having to have days off to look after sick children simply because the childcare facility you are using cannot keep adequate sanitation standards required to minimise the spread of illness among the children they care for.
