We have received some exciting news that programs may once again allow children to assist in preparing and handling food!
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit wishes to remind programs to adhere to the Guidelines for Food Handling for Children Please share this resource with your colleagues!
We know that our programs have missed these engaging opportunities for children and how important food preparation can be for fostering the Four Foundations! We can’t wait to hear about your cooking adventures.
For any further questions, feel free to reach out to the Public Health Inspector, whose phone number can be found at the bottom of the link to the guidelines document.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) has arranged dedicated appointment times for children 5 to 11 in Manitouwadge, Marathon, Geraldton, Longlac, Nipigon, and Terrace Bay. See the following letters from the TBDHU for information on how to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for your 5 to 11 year old child.
We apologize that this is last minute, but we came across a webinar that we thought may be of interest to some. We know that the pandemic has been very hard on our mental health and well-being so we are hoping to find more ways to support you through these tough times.
Northern Hearts is offering a free webinar at 7pm TONIGHT titled “Coronaphobia”. Dr. Meaghan Labine, MD, MSC, PhD, CCFP from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine will be speaking about how the fear of contracting COVID-19 impacts our daily lives and will offer recommendations on how individuals can protect their mental health during the pandemic.
Families attending child care may choose to provide expressed breast milk or formula for their child(ren). When this is the case, staff must ensure that they are storing and serving these items safely and hygienically.
According to p.7 of How Does Learning Happen?, “Families love their children and want the best for them. Families are experts on their children. They are the first and most powerful influence on children’s learning, development, health, and well-being. Families bring diverse social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives. Families should feel that they belong, are valuable contributors to their children’s learning, and deserve to be engaged in a meaningful way.” Supporting families’ decisions around feeding fosters all of the Four Foundations (Belonging, Well-Being, Engagement, Expression).
Below are two resources that can be shared with all staff who may serve breast milk to children about how to safely and hygienically store and serve breast milk. These resources can easily be posted in the programs as a visual reminder for educators on the guidelines around storing and preparing breast-milk. The source of this information is the Best Start resource Breastfeeding Matters (L’allaitement ça compte) and the second resource is also from Best Start, Expressing and Storing Breast Milk.
Families may also choose to provide infant formula for their child at child care. The instructions for preparing and serving formula are included on the packaging. Here is a resource from Best Start called Infant Formula: What You Need to Know. This resource has information about safely and hygienically preparing, serving, and storing formula.
If programs or staff have additional questions about feeding, how to safely store breast milk, they can view the above PDFs for free at the link provided, or contact the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. Be sure to also check out the Best Start website for other resources for families at your centre on child health and development.
It’s great to see that many programs are taking advantage of the beautiful weather we’ve been having this summer! With that being said, please remember that water play can be very dangerous for young children.
We are encouraging you to have a look at the resources below and to share this information with parents and caregivers. Even if your program is not partaking in water play, families may be visiting pools, splash pads, and lakes throughout the summer.
