In their 2019 article “Preventing unintentional injuries in US early care and education: Are state regulations sufficient?” in issue 124 of Preventive Medicine, Grossman, McDonald, Gielen, and Benjamin-Neelon discuss the effectiveness of US state regulations for preventing injuries in the classroom. Among the most common methods of administrative regulation of accidents and injuries in non-parental childcare are special training, notifications, and first aid actions (Grossman, McDonald, Gielen, & Benjamin-Neelon, 2019). As the authors observe, most states implemented special requirements for childcare providers in emergency and first aid training. It is worth noting that such an important way of addressing childhood injuries as emergency preparedness was required in 42 states. Additionally, there are requirements for plans for tornadoes and other weather-related disasters. Pennsylvania and Minnesota have particularly effective and stringent rules for administering injuries and disasters as they require personal records of training and emergency plans.
Most states have regulations to notify parents or guardians of an incident. In addition, depending on the severity of the injury, most states require childcare facilities to keep records of illnesses and other incidents involving children. However, only five states required childcare centers to take corrective action after the incident. These plans include more careful use of equipment, replacement of furniture, and an increase in care providers’ attention. Interestingly enough, four states do not have any policies regarding injuries in the classroom, and only one has regulations that comply with all federal standards. As a result, Grossman et al. (2019) advocate the nationwide implementation of these principles and more careful adherence to federal standards.
Overall, the study under review addresses efficient and successful ways and methods of regulating and preventing incidents in the classroom. I tend to agree with the study’s findings that injuries preventing policies need scrutiny and a more unified regulation. Following the authors, I believe more states should introduce corrective action plans and statements to prevent future incidents. This study demonstrates how much remains to be done in injuries prevention in preschool and early childhood settings.
Reference
Grossman, E. R., McDonald, E. M., Gielen, A. C., & Benjamin-Neelon, S. E. (2019). Preventing unintentional injuries in US early care and education: Are state regulations sufficient? Preventive Medicine, 124, 55–60. Web.