PA-YD 9: Nutrition, Health, and Safety
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The agency protects and promotes the health and safety of youth.
Note: Additional
practices key to promoting health and ensuring safety are addressed in other standards. For example, PA-YD 6 references the importance of offering activities that encourage physical fitness, PA-YD 12 addresses the importance of providing adequate
supervision, and PA-YD 13 highlights the importance of conducting appropriate
background checks. PA-ASE includes additional standards that promote health and safety.
The agency meets the nutritional needs of youth by:
- making drinking water readily available at all times;
- serving healthful foods and/or promoting healthy eating habits;
- offering amounts and types of food that are appropriate for the age and size of youth; and
- providing snacks and meals at appropriate times.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Water from sinks and fountains has been tested for quality and is safe for drinking;
- Filtered water is available at sites where the water quality is poor;
- Drinking water is brought along on off-site visits and field trips;
- Youth are encouraged to drink more water in hot weather;
- Clean drinking water is available indoors and outdoors;
- Foods and drinks high in fats, salts, sugars, and artificial or processed ingredients are limited;
- Youth are offered or encouraged to bring drinks such as water, milk and 100% fruit juice instead of soda and fruit drinks;
- Personnel model healthy eating habits;
- A balance of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins is served;
- Serving sizes are appropriate for the ages and sizes of youth;
- Personnel support youth’s need to self-regulate the amount they eat;
- Most of the food put out at snack time gets eaten;
- Options are provided for youth with special dietary concerns (e.g., allergies, diabetes, and vegetarian, gluten-free, and Kosher food options);
- Youth have enough time to eat without rushing;
- The timing of snacks is flexible enough to meet the needs of individuals;
- Youth are notified before snacks are put away;
- Youth do not complain a lot about disliking the food;
- Youth do not claim to be tired of having the same foods all the time; and
- Food from a range of cultures is served for snacks and meals, and the agency is sensitive to the culture of program participants when deciding what foods to serve.
Note: When food is not served, such as with a drop-in teen center, elements c and d may not apply.
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Research Note: Funding for snacks may be available through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, National School Lunch Program, or Summer Food Service Program. |
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Personnel are responsive to the individual health needs of youth.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Personnel are aware of the health needs of individual youth; and
- Personnel respect confidentiality when addressing health needs.
Interpretation: Relevant health needs to be aware of include, but are not limited to, dietary restrictions, allergies, asthma, and medication needs. Personnel should also take care to respect the confidentiality of youth as it relates to their health information.
Note: As noted in PA-YD 3, relevant health information should be collected from youth and families, and maintained in their files.
The indoor and outdoor facilities are clean.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Floors, walls, and sinks are clean;
- Someone makes sure that surfaces are washed and sanitized;
- Food service areas are disinfected after each use;
- Bad odors do not linger;
- Bathrooms are cleaned daily;
- Access to restrooms is restricted to prevent public use;
- Toilets are not overflowing; and
- Basements are not flooded.
There are adequate supplies and facilities for hand washing and personnel and youth are encouraged to wash hands frequently, especially before preparing food or after using the toilet.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Soap dispensers are filled regularly;
- Sanitary methods for drying hands are provided including disposable towels or hand driers;
- Hand sanitizer is available throughout the facility;
- Signs or pictures are posted to remind youth of the importance of washing their hands;
- Signs or pictures are posted at each sink to show proper hand washing techniques; and
- Personnel and youth wash hands with soap and water prior to engaging in, or following completion of, certain activities such as before preparing food and after using the rest room.
The temperature, ventilation, noise level, and light in the indoor space are comfortable.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Air quality in and around the facility is acceptable;
- Heating systems are functional;
- Floor or table lamps are used when needed;
- The temperature can be turned up or down; and
- Rugs and ceiling tiles are used to help absorb noise.
When youth become ill or are injured, personnel:
- separate the sick youth from other program participants;
- take proper health precautions when supervising the sick youth; and
- notify the youth’s parents or legal guardians.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- There is a designated area to care for ill youth; and
- Personnel follow written policies and/or procedures when they respond to youth who become ill.
There are no observable safety hazards in the indoor space.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Electrical cords, heating pipes, and sharp-edged objects are covered and secured;
- All stairs and climbing structures have railings;
- The floor is free of dangerous clutter and spills;
- The area is free of glass and other unsafe litter;
- Windows are secured;
- Floor coverings are secured (i.e., there are no loose rugs);
- There are no walk-in freezers or refrigerators that do not open from the inside;
- Water temperatures are appropriate, not harmful;
- There are no unscreened areas or unmarked glass doors;
- Entrances and exits are unobstructed and well-lit;
- Youth do not have unsupervised access to poisons or cleaning agents such as bleach;
- Toxic substances are kept in a locked cabinet, out of the reach of youth;
- Electrical appliances and other objects (e.g., hair dryers, space heaters, radios, toys) are used safely;
- Cleaning supplies and other hazardous materials are stored properly;
- Dividers, shelves, and cubbies are secured so that they cannot tip over; and
- Tables are stored in a safe manner so they will not fall on anyone.
There are no observable safety hazards in the outdoor space, and equipment for active play is safe.
Interpretation: Equipment, toys, and materials used by youth should meet safety requirements set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the agency should be aware of any product recalls that affect products in their center or program. The Consumer Product Safety Commission provides web-based access to a list of product recalls.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- The outdoor space is protected from traffic by fences or by other means;
- Program entrance and exit areas are sheltered from traffic;
- Fencing is provided when needed to ensure safety;
- Large equipment is bolted down;
- Equipment is free of rust, splinters, and loose nails or screws;
- Swings are placed out of the way of passing youth;
- All playground equipment is on a resilient surface (e.g., fine loose sand, wood chips, wood mulch about nine inches deep, or rubber mats);
- In summer, there is shady outdoor space and access to water;
- Sidewalks are free of ice, snow, and slippery mud; and
- There is a supply of extra coats, gloves, and boots for winter.
Youth receive emergency response training that includes participation in monthly fire drills.
Appropriate protective sports equipment is used that:
- meets minimum safety requirements;
- accommodates heavy usage;
- is appropriate to the age and capabilities of participants; and
- is maintained in safe, hygienic manner.
Interpretation: Examples of protective sports equipment include helmets, shin guards, pads, floor mats, etc. Staff should follow disinfecting procedures for shared equipment that may pose a health risk to youth.
Smoking is prohibited anywhere on the premises.
When computer access is offered to participants:
- youth and staff are trained on internet safety and the agency’s internet usage policies and procedures; and
- the agency has appropriate internet safety measures in place to prevent access to specific sites or inappropriate content.
