SunSmart child care centre recommendations

Working in child care settings we spend our time caring for children and their health and wellbeing. At this time of year it becomes especially important to be a SunSmart child care provider.

Of course, working in child care you are in a busy environment with many children to care for, so you need a way to make sun safety a simple thing to achieve. There are many ways you can do this, including incorporating SunSmart practices into your centre and creating a policy for all educators to know well.

Download our free eBook about the importance of being SunSmart and SunSmart child care policy!

The importance of being a SunSmart child care centre

Firstly, being a centre that prioritises sun safety and being SunSmart means you will have the best chance of succeeding at protecting all children from sun damage. The last thing anyone wants is for children to experience sunburn in child care.

It’s not difficult to keep children’s young, sensitive skin safe from the sun. The key is to have knowledge around what causes sun damage — the sun’s UV rays — and how to protect children from them.

There are many ways to protect children from UV rays, including sunscreen, hats, clothing, shade and avoiding the sun between 10am and 4pm when the UV rating is at its highest. You can check the UV index via many weather websites and apps to keep on top of this too.

Creating a SunSmart policy in early childhood

The very best way to become a centre that protects children from the sun and has a consistent SunSmart approach year round is by creating a centre policy around it. This policy means there is no room for educators to have to take guesses — it’s all written down and everyone should know it well.

According to the official SunSmart website, their recommendation is that all early childhood education and child care centres put together a SunSmart policy. They even offer a sample policy for you to base yours on — take a look.

There are many SunSmart resources that you can use in your centre here. Resources include everyting from posters and family notices, to information sheets, songs and videos.

Remember — the things we show children now can become healthy habits for life.

Want to learn more about being SunSmart? Here are two more blogs in this series!

Protect children from the sun- Here’s why it’s vital!

Sun safety tips to protect babies, toddlers, and children!