Safe environments

Mobile infants are developing more control of their head, torso, arms, and legs, and are beginning to coordinate those movements. They sleep less and are more active during the day, eager to engage in everything around them.

The toddler years are a time when children are building skills in all areas. They remember what they learn and share it with others. They understand things more deeply, make choices, and engage with others in new ways. The changes in their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development help them to build new skills that prepare them for school and later learning.

By the time they are preschool-aged, children are more independent in their play and their ability to meet their own needs. They focus on learning rules and routines to know what is safe and appropriate. Their constant dialogue with peers and caregivers helps them to form specific ideas about what is safe and why.

During the first five years, children constantly acquire new skills and knowledge. Caregivers who know what children can do and how they can get hurt can protect them from injury.

Staff wear latex gloves to prevent contact with bodily fluids. However, allergic reactions to latex do occur. Use these tips to prevent allergic reactions to latex gloves.

Mold is an environmental trigger for allergy and asthma. Learn about the removal of fungal growth, remediation protocols, and the effectiveness of various cleaning strategies.

Use facts in this tip sheet to learn about the dangers of secondhand smoke and what may happen if children are exposed.

Hazard mapping is a process that Head Start programs can use after an injury occurs. It helps for emergency preparedness planning related to natural disasters.

The Pro-Children’s Act of 2001 imposes restrictions on smoking in facilities where federally-funded children’s services are provided. Grantees that are subject to these requirements will find this information useful.

Infants depend on their families for food, warmth, and care, and for meeting such basic needs as eating, diapering, sleeping, bonding, and safety. But all babies are unique. Some infants may settle easily and be capable of quickly soothing themselves.