A written policy on oral health shows that a facility understands the importance of oral health for children’s overall wellbeing and school readiness. Written policies help the facility communicate values and expectations clearly with families and staff.
Policy documentation
In your REACH Oral Health application, you will upload documentation of meeting the policy best practice along with offering toothbrushing once a day, training teachers/staff who help with toothbrushing, and making water visible and freely available throughout the day.
| REACH Application Documentation | Go NAPSACC Best Practice |
| The section of the facility’s family and/or staff handbook that shows their commitment to oral health, by covering all of the following topics (as applicable by age groups served by the facility): -brushing is provided one time per day for all children with teeth -an age-appropriate amount of fluoride toothpaste is provided to children whose families give permission -sugary drinks are never offered -juice is never offered to infants and offered two times per week or less to toddler and preschool aged-children -water is freely available throughout the day -sippy cups are never offered to toddlers during naptime or to carry during playtime -bottles are only offered at feeding times, never during naptime or playtime | OH26 There is a written policy on the prevention of children’s tooth decay that includes a variety of topics related to the importance of oral health, habits that support oral health, and practices to help prevent children’s tooth decay. |
Tips for your policy documentation:
- Policy covers all of the topics outlined above that apply to the age groups the facility serves. For example, if a facility does not serve infants, they do not need to show a section about when bottles are offered.
- Policy is currently in use and has been reviewed/updated in the past 12 months.
- Only one file is needed if it covers all of the topics outlined above, but two can be provided.
Example documentation:
The policy below covers the required information. An editable version of this policy example can be found in the Go NAPSACC Oral Health section under Policy. A draft policy is also available through the NC Child Care Health & Safety Resource Center.
REACH Recognition 