The Letter - I need you help please, all feedback appreciated!!

[*Beema*]

This is the letter I have produced as a reponse to our Childcare Centre in this thread.

16th February 2010

RE: The future ban on the use of cloth nappies

Dear xxxxx

I refer to the newsletter that I received on the 16th February 2010, and what was brought to my attention was on page 2 of the newsletter:
"For OH&S reasons for both staff and children it is not acceptable for children to arrive in our centre in a cloth nappy and for infants to wear them throughout the day.
Cloth nappies, even with plastic pants can leak faeces and urine and therefore germs from the bowel being transferred to surfaces within the centre. It is not acceptable for cloth nappies with urine and/or faeces to site in a plastic bag in a child’s bag all day.

We appreciate that clothe nappies are more environmentally friendly than disposable nappies, however due to the health and safety of all concerned we adopted the policy to not allow the use of them. Management has followed health and hygiene procedures in nappy changing in accordance with recommendations from recognised health authorities - particularly "staying healthy in childcare". The amendment to this policy will be found in the reprint of the parent handbook after March 2010"

As an avid cloth napper user, I would like to express my extreme disappointment in the above submission, for a number of reasons. I will start with a clear definition of what is a cloth nappy;

Cloth Nappy in the sense that is written in the submission above is;
“A folded terry towelling square, with a plastic pilcher or “fluffies” over the top of the nappy”

The Cloth Nappies I am referring to and those that I have seen being used within the centre are;
“Modern Cloth Nappies (MCN’s), and AIO (All in one), SOI (Snap in One), Pocket (Stuffed Nappy) all with a PUL (waterproof layer integrated within the construction of the nappy) or a Prefold with cover (Prefolded bamboo, hemp or cotton soaker, with a waterproof cover, being it PUL or Woollen lanolised).”

There is a significant difference between the two definitions of cloth nappies.

I have also undertaken further research and I refer to the clause that you have referred to from “Staying Healthy in Childcare” Disposable nappies may reduce the risk of infections as disposable nappies do not ‘leak’ as easily as cloth nappies and are able to be disposed of immediately. What the document also states in reference to cloth nappies “If a parent provides cloth nappies for their child’s use, ensure the parent also provides ‘plastic pants’ to help prevent faeces, and therefore germs, from leaking. Wearing clothing over plastic pants also reduces the number of germs from the bowel being transferred to surfaces in the centre. It is a good idea for the nappy and the plastic pants to be covered with clothing at all times. Parents need to be aware that cloth nappies with urine and/or faeces will not be rinsed or washed at the centre. They are to be placed into a plastic bag and laundered at home.”

This document does not imply in any way that cloth nappies should be discouraged or banned, if gives valuable information on how to best manage the use of cloth nappies within a Childcare facility. It is duly noted that this document was produced 2006 and has not been revised since although it is due for a review this year, it therefore has not taken into account the dramatic changes in the development of Modern Cloth Nappies (MCN’s), and the significant improvement in the design and manufacture of cloth nappies, the ease of putting them on is as simple as putting on a disposable nappy.
What has been disappointing about this process if that we have not been given the opportunity to question, make suggestions or have any input into the above decision. We should have been approached as valued people within the childcare centre to address any issues and find practical and achievable solutions. I feel that we have been unnecessarily targeted, which the reality is a lot of the issues highlighted above will continue to be an issue with or without the use of cloth nappies. For example;
Infants are often having “poo-splosions” out of disposable nappies, resulting is quite a mess on clothes, babies and where ever the baby was placed, children who are toilet training do have accidents, and in both of these situations which would likely be on a daily basis in a centre of the size of Northgate, these soiled clothes would be placed in the child’s bag in a plastic bag and sent home for the parent to wash.
I have found that on the days that my daughter had leaked onto her clothes, she has come home with one or two unused nappies, which clearly highlights that her nappy was not changed often enough during the day resulting in wet clothes. There have been days when this has not been the case but it has been hot weather and she had been drinking significantly more water and I was asked to provide additional nappies on hot days, to allow for additional nappy changes if required, and I was more than happy to oblige.
I believe that we can approach this situation with an open and honest discussion, giving us the opportunity to be more proactive in the addressing of the issues, not just a blanket ban with no opportunity for discussion or input. In addition I do question why the centre has significantly moved away from its original principals, especially when you look at the fact that the centre originally held a full cloth nappy service, which was one of the reason I chose the centre, as it highlighted to me that the Centre was willing to take the environmental impact of disposable nappies and try to reduce the amount of landfill they were contributing to.
A single child will produce between 1-2 tonnes of waste from disposable nappies alone, from the centre over the period of a year, take an average of 15 babies in each BR1 And BR2 (total of 30 infants) for five days a week, with each requiring to bring 5 disposable nappies and the assumption that all nappies are used, that results in 5 nappies per child, 5 days a week, 52 weeks of the year, that is 39,000 nappies a year at least, for each child using cloth at Childcare the reduction is 1,300 nappies a year for a full time child. This doesn't even take into account the toddlers still wearing nappies.
I have bought and paid for enough cloth nappies for my daughter to see her through until toilet training, and I am not prepared to now go out and spend money on disposable nappies, when I already have something that will do the job, be significantly better against her skin, not a piece of plastic filled with chemicals, fragrances and completely unnatural fibres.
It is also well known than children wearing cloth nappies are toilet trained significantly earlier than children wearing disposable nappies as they can actually feel when the nappy is damp, even with materials that keep the moisture away from the skin. This will reduce the work load on your staff with having to change nappies for a longer period of time.

I am more than happy to have an open and frank discussion on how we can work together to provide solutions to please all parties, as I believe the use of cloth nappies is for the greater good and should be encouraged, not frowned upon.
Solutions and ways we can move forwards without a blanket ban on the use of cloth nappies
• We provide an extra nappy or two for each day to allow for additional changes if perceived are needed by the Room Leader.
• I have always provided a wetbag (fully sealed and waterproof bag for the placement of the used nappies and I also have provided plastic bags for each individual nappy to go into the wet bag. I can continue to do so or;
• I am more than happy to provide a biodegradable nappy sack for each nappy and a nappy bucket with a sealed lid to avoid any additional contact with the nappies, avoiding any additional contact with the nappies, when another nappy is added to the bucket. Then I will take and replace the bucket with a cleaned disinfected bucket for each day.
• To sit down with staff and explain the application and use of cloth nappies in full, and educate the staff on the significant developments in Modern Cloth Nappies, the differences and ways they can also be involved in telling parents what is and isn’t working for their child. Education is one of the things that is really missing, I have noted on many occasions that a nappy has not be put on correctly, which highlights that it was either a new staff member or a staff member from another room who was not aware of how to correctly put on the nappy.
• I will continue to provide two or more pairs of spare clothing as a just in case measure to ensure that any soiled clothes are not put back or the child or the child is only left with a top and nappy.
In summary I believe that we can address the issues and move forwards, and provide a better solution for all parties involved. I look forward to hearing from you, if you have any queries or are free to have a discussion please contact me on xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Kind Regards


All constructive comments and feedback would be very much appreciated.

[Kailani]

Beema, I think that's a great letter and it rebuts their uninformed points very well.I am very interested to see what they respond with. Goodluck

[alioops]

I can't see any issues with that. Have you looked at the ANN to see what their info says about CC?

[~Hestia~]

I think you have written a very articulate & matter of fact letter.
Please keep us posted, good luck!!

[Shades]

Okay - 2 points - one specific - the other general -
Specifically - this part has repetitive unnecessary phrasing which I find a bit distracting/confusing -
"I am more than happy to provide a biodegradable nappy sack for each nappy and a nappy bucket with a sealed lid to avoid any additional contact with the nappies, avoiding any additional contact with the nappies, when another nappy is added to the bucket."

And the general one, I think maybe when you mention the difference between the old style cloth referred to in their guidelines and mcns, maybe you could mention that most mcns have an elasticised leg similar to disposables, which reduce the chance of leakage as compared to the flat-style. Maybe you could offer to only use AIO, AI2, pockets, etc, rather than prefolds with covers?

Otherwise it's great - good on you for fighting for your child's right to have a fluffy butt!!

[YoYo]

It's a great letter, clearly something you are very passionate about, and rightly so.

I do think it's a bit too long though. Remember that people are in a rush these days and they might not take it as seriously, or let it sink in, if it takes them too long to read it IYKWIM.

I think that you can still get all your points across and maybe encourage more discussion about it in person, rather than put it all on paper?

I sincerely hope that they take all your points on board and re-think their policy. Disposables explode as easily as clothies, and you're right, if the staff were more educated about the nappies, then maybe they'd use them in a more effective manner (putting them on and changing them more often), then you wouldn't be the ones being targeted. It's probably more about time than anything else....people are so lazy these days!

GOOD LUCK!

[elliskirsty]

Beema, not having a child in childcare, I am unsure how it all works with nappy changing and the policies mentioned. The staff are going to be in contact with the wee and poo regardless of whether the nappy is disposable or MCN, when they have to change the nappy. (see below for an extract from your post)

We appreciate that clothe nappies are more environmentally friendly than disposable nappies, however due to the health and safety of all concerned we adopted the policy to not allow the use of them. Management has followed health and hygiene procedures in nappy changing in accordance with recommendations from recognised health authorities - particularly "staying healthy in childcare". The amendment to this policy will be found in the reprint of the parent handbook after March 2010"

GOOD LUCK!!! Hope you can continue to use cloth!

[Oorki Galoorki]

i would state that the bucket is for dry pailing as there is a HUGE issue with soaking buckets in CC's so they need to know that there will not be any water in the bucket.

[Floweryfields]

I would check on the centres policy regarding soiled items in other age groups - as you state that they put these in their bags.
In Qld it is a Dept of Communities (DOCS) rule that they be stored in a sealed container away from child access for collection by the parent. It is illegal to put in their bags due to the contaimination issue. This comes from the Childcare Regs which all states of Aust follows so your centre should be too.
If you are using this as one of your main arguements, it would be best to check what the policy is first as the centre will dismiss you straight off for not knowing what you are talking about if that is their policy.

Otherwise, great letter, as mentioned possibly too long for someone to totally read thoughroughly.

[shazzi]

I can't believe that your childcare is doing this. It is quite baseless especially when you consider all the good points that your letter and the feedback you have received point out.

The letter has lots of good information, but as one of the previous replies says, it is quite long. I suggest doing dot points up the top of the letter of all the big hitting points (1. MCN's can be used just like sposies, 2. all nappies will leak, 3. Sufficient management practices available for storage of MCN's etc). The other thing i recommend is to do subheadings for the main arguments in the body of the letter. A mass of words may not be read properly. Possible examples - What are Modern Cloth Nappies, Hygenic Use of MCN's, Solutions available for the centre, No consultation with parents...

At the end of the letter i would ask them to contact me to discuss the letter and arrange a meeting.


Good luck.

[Asparagus and Lemons]

I think the letter sounds very fair, I like how it states how they didnt even think before putting the letter out.
It is very unfair how they are doing that, I think it should be the other way.. encouraging more cloth so they didnt have so much rubbish. But thats just my opinion.

You've written a great letter! Good Luck with it all

[STARRYSKY]

Beema- I think its a sad and sorry state of affairs that it has come to this iN cc !

I think your letter is fantastically worded, but as some said a bit long (but I understand the need to put as much info in as poss.)
would it be possible to condense the salient points into dot point form, to highlight the pros and cons etc, and also your disagreements with their points?
just an idea.
beck x

[Indadhanu]

Yep, I agree with ausgirl on the soiled clothes issues. I'd take out the part where soiled clothing are put into children's bags as they aren't (or shouldn't be), and add in a part that says something like "in line with policies, I will provide an airtight container/bucket to put used nappies in, as is the guidelines for soiled clothing" (or something like that lol, my brain isn't fully engaged right now!). It sounds like their issue is with putting dirty nappies back into a bag, which I can appreciate they probably aren't allowed to do. I guess if you and some other parents who use cloth pooled money and bought one of those storage containers to keep at the centre, and then each provided a wetbag, staff could put dirty nappies in the wetbag into the container, as they do with soiled clothing. It's not more work since they have to change dirty nappies and put them in a nappy sack and then the bin anyway, so its just changing the 'bin' step to 'container'....

Hope you can change their mind. Disposables for CC could get really expensive especially since you're already outlayed the money into cloth.

[alioops]

I just found this on the dept of health website and thought it might be useful

Most child care related infections are more common in infants and toddlers than among older children. A study of bacterial contamination in centres found that the prevalence of faecal coliforms on hands, surfaces and in air samples was inversely related to the age of the children. The likelihood of faecal contamination was greatest on the hands of infants and carers, and least on those of the older children.38 Disposable nappies appear to be superior to cloth nappies in preventing faecal contamination of the environment.39 Whether the use of disposable nappies can reduce the incidence of diarrhoeal illness is not clear.

Two prospective studies of risk factors for diarrhoeal illness found that centres with non-toilet trained infants, and those in which food-handling staff also changed nappies, had higher diarrhoeal rates.40,41 The risk of diarrhoeal illness in three year old children who stayed in the same room as under two year olds was 4.3 (95%, CI 2.1-9.0) times greater than the risk in those separated from the under two year olds.40 In common with other enteric infections, hepatitis A outbreaks are most likely to involve centres containing many children who are still in nappies.42

Prevention of the spread of enteric infections is best achieved by ensuring that wherever possible, carers have not been involved in nappy changing prior to handling food on the same shift, that minimal contact occurs between children in nappies and older children, and that the same members of staff do not look after both age groups at the same time.

[Madissun]

I think your letter is fantastic hun. You even educated me

[lisaandshaun]

I think it is a well written letter and dont see how having modern cloth nappies at a childcare is an issue.
I mean yes as a child care worker i feel they do take a little longer to change and clean (we used a high pressured hose attached to the toilet to spray off any waste straight into the toilet).
I worked in a centre in Darwin for 5 years and had several parents who used both the terry towelling and modern cloth nappies which worked wonderfully.
We would rinse off the waste into the toilet using the hose then bag the nappy and place into a plastic tub which was then tightly sealed. The parents provided plenty of nappies to use through out the day and were also on call should we run out.

I am a cloth user and think the modern cloth nappies are wonderful and very easy to use. Good luck in getting the centre to change their mind. Please keep us posted.
Lisa

[~Hestia~]

Beema how did you go? Have you had any response?

[*Beema*]

Thankyou all so much for your responses, I have been flat out for the past week and haven't had time to rewrite the letter Apparently they are writing me one as well as to why the are banning them.

Since last week I have found out that...

I am the ONLY person using cloth nappies now in the centre
and....
The Director apparently didn't know how many people, which made me angry as she didn't even take in account how many people it would affect and that perhaps a more individual approach would have been more appropriate. Before just plastering it in the newsletter.

I am going to review the letter either tonight or tomorrow - finally a day out of the office and not travelling! And I will post another version here for some final comments before I submit it. I was concerned that it was too long, so hopefully I can make it more succinct

Thankyou all so much I really appreciate it