Update on Swine 'Flu & Child Care Check the latest policies in your state Yes, as if with the onset of winter we needed a different sort of flu virus to deal with, the dreaded Swine Flu is still in the news and seems to be spreading in parts of Australia (mainly Victoria) as well as around the rest of the world. While early detection is key to successfully treating the disease, preventative measures are in place to try to stop the spread of swine flu as much as possible, and parents are encouraged to stick to procedure without complaint, even if it might be an inconvenience. The Government is recommending that children in child care and kindergarten travelling back from the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Panama and Victoria remain at home for seven days after their return. But parents should check with their child care centre on its own policy, which may vary. Most child care centres will have effective infection control practices in place and when attempting to control the spread of influenza, the same steps that are normally taken should be followed: If a child shows or develops flu-like symptoms, they will be separated from the other children and parents contacted immediately to request they pick them up from the service and to keep them home until they are well. Parents should call their GP for further advice and to get their child tested. This may well be an inconvenience and in most cases Swine Flu will not be found, but little children are particularly susceptible, so the advice is to take no chances. Parents, child care staff and children need to be encouraged to continue to take appropriate precautions, such as covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and washing hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel, including after contact with soiled tissues, after blowing their nose or coughing, before eating, and after going to the toilet or changing a nappy. If staff or children are sick with an influenza-like illness, they should be advised to stay at home and limit contact with other people to avoid infecting them. If a children's service notices an unusually high number of absences due to illness, particularly influenza-like-illnesses, or has a confirmed case of a child, family member, or staff member contracting the influenza, they are bound to notify their local public health unit immediately and could be closed down depending on the findings of the local authority health service. For more information, please see these factsheets on hand-washing and cough etiquette. For the latest information on the policies in your state concerning the child care industry click through below:
New South Wales Victoria Queensland Western Australia	South Australia Australian Capital Territory Tasmania Northern Territory
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