If your daycare has a bad problem with colds and other germs spreading around, and you can't seem to keep the kids or staff healthy, there are some considerations you want to take. You want to take action to keep everyone healthy and to get rid of the germs that are around the space. People are going to pass around germs, but getting everyone out and giving everyone time to get well is one of the best solutions. Look into doing the following in your space so everyone can get healthy.

Professional Cleaning and Sterilization

Have a janitorial service come into the space and do a professional cleaning. Along with the cleaning, ask that all the toys, items around the space, and surfaces around the building be cleaned with a sanitizing agent. You want to have the entire space sanitized to prevent the germs that are a problem from spreading and to kill the bacteria. The area will look spotless and be clean when the children come back to school. You may want to have this service performed regularly during cold and flu season.

24-Hour Shutdown

If the weekend isn't near and you are afraid that everyone is going to keep passing the illness around, do a 24-hour shut down. This can be inconvenient, but it also gives everyone a chance to get well if they are fighting the bacteria or stay away from the germs while they are still healthy. You may have to get the space cleared and cleaned, even if it's during the week, to keep everyone healthy and to allow the unhealthy time to get better.

Hand-Sanitization Policy

Change your policy for hand sanitization. Make sure that your staff are washing their hands after every contact with a child and that the children are washing their hands before eating, after going to the bathroom, and routinely throughout the day. This way when they touch their mouth, nose, or face, they aren't spreading germs.

It can be hard to fight a cold, flu, or another illness once it starts going around between the children and the staff when you have a childcare center. Look into these three things to make sure everyone is being as safe as possible and so you can keep the illness out of your space. These are things to do as soon as cold and flu season hits or right when there is an outbreak of illness.