​As a retired PA Child Care Licensing Representative with 20 years of experience and having done over 2,000 child care inspections, I know a little bit about health and safety. Also, as an expert safety witness with the Expert Institute, my expert opinions are based on studying the differences between Guidelines, Regulations, Accreditation, Standards and Practices (best).  
The following are just a few key health and safety differences between PA Certified Child Care Centers and PA Public Schools.

1. PA. Child Care Centers are inspected by the state, at least annually, whereas PA Public Schools may never receive an on-site inspection following the original opening of the school. (CDC Covid19 guidelines require a consistent and constant inspection process).
2. PA Child Care Center regulations are primarily concerned with health and safety compliance and with stringent oversight.  PA Public Schools are more curriculum focused with little oversight for health and safety. (CDC Covid19 guidelines are primarily concerned with health and safety).
3. PA Child Care Centers are constantly and consistently monitored by unannounced inspections and a complaint investigation process to help ensure complete compliance with all regulations.  Public schools are seldom, if ever inspected by the state and complaints are usually handled internally or more privately. (Covid19 guidelines are voluntary but more monitoring or oversight helps ensure more compliance and safety).
4. PA Child Care Centers are measured for safe spaces and assigned a capacity for each child care space.  PA Public Schools are not measured or monitored for safe child care space capacities. (CDC Covid19 guidelines recommend social distancing and more safe space allows more social distancing).
5. PA Child Care Centers are required to take children outdoors daily, weather permitting.  PA Public Schools are not required to take children outdoors.

(CDC Covid19 guidelines recommend outdoor activities over indoor activities).

1. PA Child Care Centers and child care workers have been following strict hand washing and safe sanitation policies for over 30 years.  PA Public Schools and teachers do not monitor strict hand washing and safe sanitation practices. (CDC Covid19 guidelines stress frequent hand washing and safe sanitation practices).
2. PA Child Care Centers are required to follow specific staff - child ratios and group sizes.  PA Public Schools do not follow strict staff - child ratios or group sizes. (CDC Covid19 guidelines stress avoiding crowds and limiting group sizes to help reduce a potential virus from spreading).
3. PA Child Care Centers follow strict food handling and provides refrigeration requirements for food brought from homes.  PA Public Schools do not provide recommended food handling and refrigeration for all foods. (CDC Covid19 guidelines stress healthy diets and immune systems to help fight viruses).
4. PA Child Care Centers have been using nature and play based curriculums for decades whereas, PA Public Schools are just beginning to recognize these Health, Environment, Learning and Play benefits.

(CDC Covid19 guidelines are based on nature and science research).
In conclusion, in order to open more safely, PA Public Schools can learn and benefit greatly by following the Health, Environment, Learning and Play regulations and practices that PA Certified Child Care Centers have been following for decades.  Also, the PA Department of Human Services already has great resources and systems in place that can complement the PA Department of Education Public School systems.
Dennis Smiddle – Executive Director of FANS 4 HELP (a new 2020 nonprofit).
631 Highland Ave.
Canonsburg, PA 15317

​As a former PA Child Care Licensing Representative with 20+ years of experience, I am very familiar with both child care and school regulations.  Pennsylvania Child Care regulations are primarily concerned with health and safety practices, whereas school regulations are primarily concerned with curriculums.  Opening schools and child cares safely during this unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic, must concern everyone with the best practices for health and safety.  Fortunately, these best practices can be found in a comprehensive resource entitled, Caring For Our Children.
Since 1995, the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NCR) has maintained and continues to develop national health and safety standards for early care and education settings.  While the PA Department of Human Services and the PA Department of Education may do good work in their respective areas of expertise, their oversight and guidance are focused on minimum health and safety compliance.  However, this is a time when everyone must be concerned with the best practices for caring for our children and the time for an action plan is now.
As the executive director of a new 2020 nonprofit, FANS 4 HELP, I can show everyone how to connect with, Caring For Our Children, a collection of national standards that represent the best practices, based on evidence, expertise, and experience, for quality health and safety polices and practices for today’s early care and education settings.
Dennis Smiddle is a former PA Recreation Therapist (15 years), PA Child Care Licensing Representative (20 years), a former Certified Playground Safety Inspector (6 years) and Keystone Stars Playground Safety Trainer (6 years).
Dennis Smiddle
631 Highland Ave.
Canonsburg, PA. 15317
(724) 825-5121
 

​The time to practice Health & Safety is always now and FANS 4 HELP can show everyone how.  With our blog, we will help everyone to get a GRASP on evidenced-based and expert information on Health & Safety Guidelines, Regulations, Accreditation, Standards and Practices (Best). Eventually, we will plan on issuing a FANS 4 HELP seal of approval for recognition of compliance with FANS 4 HELP.  But for now, we will start sharing easy to follow evidenced-based information from experts in the fields of health, environment, learning and play.  
For today, we would like to share some Health & Safety advice for Park and Playground Hygiene.  Due to the present existential treat of the Coronavirus, many parks and playgrounds are being temporarily closed.  These stringent actions are probably the best practices, at this time.  Still, FANS 4 HELP is sharing this well-written article on Playground Hygiene for your information and we still encourage everyone to get as much outdoor activity and play while following all of the Coronavirus updates and best practices for health and safety. 
Full Article on Playground Hygiene -  https://www.aaastateofplay.com/guide-to-playground-hygiene/?fbclid=IwAR0o0DLVFoA_gN6aKmTuR7fAw3rkadl_IU2w5gJoP-9yGUfmyqVa-oE7qK8
Thank you, Dennis Smiddle, -    https://www.expertinstitute.com/expert/playground-safety-expert-witness-e-099110/ 

I, Dennis Smiddle wrote the following letter to the Partnership for a Healthier America on 11-12-2012 and to help advance our shared goals, I founded FANS of Play LLC. on September 7, 2014. This blog, FANS of Play Today, will attempt to provide and share more important H.E.L.P (Health, Environment, Learning and Play) for a healthier America.

War on Childhood Obesity. We as a nation need to declare “War on Childhood Obesity” and most experts agree that the two most effective ways of combating childhood obesity are:
​
 (1). Provide more age-appropriate physical fitness opportunities or exercise and,
 (2). Provide healthier diets.

Winning this “War on Childhood Obesity” can be accomplished for all of our nation’s children and the battlefields for this “War” should be on the playgrounds of America. We can fight this epidemic on Early Learning Facility Playgrounds, School Playgrounds, Park Playgrounds and other Community Playgrounds.  In this way, we can reach all of our children and provide opportunities to teach and build healthy habits and healthier lifestyles.

To most effectively win this “War” and have lasting positive life-style changes, we need to redesign or supplement our existing playgrounds with more beneficial opportunities such as, nature/fitness trails, gardens and outdoor classroom areas.  These are easy renovations and everyone can be involved in the building, including the children.

 Outdoor learning areas and gardens can be used to teach about the environment and provide hands-on experiences to connect children with nature.  Planting a garden helps children learn about the growth process, the environment, eating healthier, and appreciating a variety of healthy foods.  These early lessons can lead to life-long healthier lifestyles.   

Fitness trails can provide healthy exercise opportunities with age-appropriate fitness stations and with an accessible trail for walking, skipping, hopping, running or other physical activities.

These areas and play opportunities are considered “suggestive play” and they provide more physical, social, emotional, and cognitive health benefits than the traditional equipment-based or “prescriptive” playgrounds since the children are free to use their imaginations and creativity.

Positive results are expected since the playgrounds will be better designed to focus on the two most effective ways of combating obesity : (1) physical exercise and (2) healthier diets.  Playgrounds are accessible to most all children and families in schools, early learning facilities and parks. Schools will be encouraged to get children outdoors more since research indicates that physical activity improves classroom performance and more emphasis is being placed on environmental learning.

To promote these programs and ensure their success, information can be sent to schools and communities regarding the benefits which include physical, social, emotional, and cognitive benefits for children, along with cost-saving benefits in terms of health and safety, and the easy Do-it-Yourself plans or resources for creating these cost effective environments.

Contacting the Departments of Education, the Departments of Health, the National Recreation and Parks Association, NAEYC, and other child health and education advocates would help further this initiative.  Then of course, The Partnership for a Healthier America Challenge is a means to the End Childhood Obesity.