There seems to be a feeling of panic surrounding the H1N1 virus.  And why wouldn’t there be?  According to the media, no one seems to be safe – adults, children, babies, pregnant women.  As a parent, I find myself watching my child closely, looking for symptoms.  And yet, what do we do about it?  Do we keep our children locked up at home, away from school, away from playgroups, or away from each other?  I think it is important to keep our perspective.  Our schools and organizations have pandemic preparedness plans and policies designed to keep our children safe.

At Family Matters, we have a check list of cleaning that is completed both daily and weekly.  We have a policy that if staff is sick, we stay home.  If children are sick, we ask parents to keep them home.  We have hand sanitizers and Kleenex available in every room.  We promote washing hands before eating and after using the washroom.  We do not allow children to share food, cups, or eating utensils. 

Family Matters gets regular updates from Health Promotion and Protection, which we post in our parent area.  If you would like copies of these updates, let us know and we can email them to you or photocopy them here at the Centre.

We are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of each and every child who comes to Family Matters.  As a parent, however, I recognize that it is up to each individual family to decide what risks are associated with H1N1 and bringing a child into public areas.  No matter how many precautions are taken, there are no guarantees during flu season.  This flu season is one every family is taking seriously.

For more information on what Family Matters is doing to keep our staff and participants healthy, please call us at 584-2210 or email us at familymatters@ns.sympatico.ca