📒 Clothing Policy (QA2) (Video Needed)

National Quality Standard (NQS) - Quality Area 2: Children's health and safety

Implementation

Effective clothing strategies, including sun protection clothing, are important factors in ensuring a child feels safe and secure at our Service. 

Management/Nominated Supervisor will:

• Ensure that a Sun Safety Policy is developed and maintained.
• Ensure that educators are provided with personal protective equipment (e.g. gloves, goggles, etc.) to facilitate cleaning and health protection measures.
• Provide information for educators about suitable clothing and footwear expectations for the education and care work environment.
• Provide information for families about suitable clothing and footwear. This information will also be available at the Service using a variety of communication strategies including newsletters, brochures, websites, and posters.
• Ensure educators are aware and abide by the Sun Safety Policy.

Educators will: 

• Consult and communicate with families about the individual needs of children with respect to different values and beliefs associated with clothing and footwear. 
• Monitor children’s clothing and footwear to ensure compliance with the Sun Protection Policy and to support the safety, comfort, and well being of every child.
• Consider clothing and footwear needs associated with excursions or planned learning experiences and communicate clearly with families about the need for extraordinary protective clothing requirements. 
• Provide protective clothing, such as aprons, for messy play experiences and painting. Children will be encouraged by educators to wear protective clothing during messy and water play. 
• Encourage children to remove shoes and heavy/ excess layers of clothing during rest times and to reflect the room temperature, as recommended practice by Red Nose. 
• Take off children’s jumpers and jackets with hoods during rest time to ensure children’s safety
• Encourage children to utilise their self-help skills where appropriate to put on and remove clothing and shoes to meet their needs. For younger children, educators will use observation and monitoring skills to ensure children’s clothing and footwear is appropriate for the environment and weather conditions.
• Monitor the UV rating to ensure children have dressed appropriately for the weather
• Discuss clothing with children
• Model appropriate clothing – for example wearing hats and sun-safe clothing 
• Convey respect for children and appreciate their individuality. 
•  Encourage children to make choices in relation to getting dressed and the clothing they wear
•  Respect children’s privacy and modesty when having children change their clothes or dressing themselves, ensuring that individual needs and preferences are understood and catered for

Families will 

• Provide spare clothing in children’s bags to allow for dirty or soiled clothing and changing weather conditions. This includes a spare set of shoes and socks.
• Dress children appropriately, including footwear and appropriate hat.
• Ensure their child is clothed in an appropriate manner which will allow them to explore and play freely and not restrict them using the equipment while at play.
•  Ensure clothing also allows easy access for toileting i.e. elasticised trousers, track pants – rather than buttons, zips, belts, etc.
•  Not dress their children in good/expensive clothing where there is a chance they will get stained.
• Ensure children are appropriately protected from the sun - please refer to Sun Safety Policy for further directives on hats and clothing.
• Ensure children’s clothing accommodates for the weather conditions. i.e. be loose and cool in summer to prevent overheating and warm enough for cold weather – including outdoor play. At all times educators will monitor children to ensure they are appropriately dressed for all-weather, play experiences, rest, and sleep routines.
• Ensure children have appropriate footwear that enables them to play comfortably and not cause safety concerns, children not wearing footwear appropriate to a particular activity will be encouraged to remove them for play. i.e. thongs, clogs, or backless shoes have a trip factor and do not allow children to use equipment safely.
• Ensure all clothing and belongings must be clearly labeled with the child's name.
• Be familiar with their child’s clothing fabric to minimise allergies and reactions