Nurseries and smoking policies

[eastmidlandsnightnanny]

This has something that has just occured to me over the past few days I am due first baby end of Aug and have started to look at childcare options ready for May when I return to work 4 days a week. I am considering childminders and nurseries and had been advised to start looking now so have got a few nursery brochures (seems more expensive for 4 days than 5 days as daily rate is much more).

Anyway if I go with a childminder I would choose someone who was a non-smoker and had no family members who smoked living in the home and also had a smoke-free home as I do.

But with nurseries how does this work as I drove past a nursery the other day at 7.40am and saw a member of staff having a cigarette obv before she started work.

My concern is that the smell remains on clothes and also the passive smoking risk remains for 20mins after a cigarette.

So can nurseries only employ non-smokers as its a childcare setting?

I hope I havent opended up a can of worms here.

Afraid not. Nurseries only have to esnure their premises are no-smoking. They have no control over what their employees do before/after work or in their breaks.

Thats what I thought which will seriously make me consider whether a nusery is the right childcare option for us based on this.

It really hadnt occured to me to ask about smoking until I saw this person smoking.

Of course they can't only employ nonsmokers

I understand your concerns and if you prefer a non smoking environment then you can as you say go with a CM

Thanks rubyslippers as I said not something that had crossed my mind until recently and will more than likely go for a childminder for this reason, was obv looking at both options and had considered a mix of both but really dont want my child cared for by a smoker, we a non-smokers as are all our families, we have one friend who smokes and if he if wants a cigarette when visitig we make him go for a walk and we wont let him have his coat in our house as it stinks+++++ yes prob a little OTT but I am one of those awful moany non-smokers.

You are not OTT, and don't make apologies for your opinion...I am an ex-smoker and I agree with you. I cannot stand the smell that eminates from smokers and when I WAS a smoker I did it next to open windows as I hated the smell of stale smoke. And I was obsessive about teeth brushing and gum etc. I would hate that your baby might be having someone breathing all over them and not be able to move away, its disgusting.

And I have seen the girls outside the local nursery on fag breaks so yes, you will encounter this. I think you would be being very reasonable to ask if the staff smoke!

Thanks lovesdogsandcats didnt want to seem unreasonable and I suppose I would just be taking a chance as if when baby started nursery they were all non-smokers always potential they could employ or have agency staff who are smokers.

suppose that makes my childcare option choice easier as now will look for a childminder

According to the job centre you can chose not to employ a smoker as it is a 'choice'

Whereas 'not driving' or 'not having a car' are not reasons to not employ someone as it is discriminatory because they may not be able to afford to have lessons/own a car

Which tbh I thought was bizarre

Thats interesting katymac - I wasnt sure if you could/could not state non-smoker unless it was within a private home such as a cleaner, nanny, housekeeper etc then knew you could state choice but didnt realise all employers could which is interesting may ask a couple of nurseries and see what they say, the 2 we are looking at are montesorri not sure if that will make any difference.

I was going to send my DS to a local nursery having done the tour thing, however a couple of my friends have seen staff outside during the working day, clearly on fag breaks. I have since asked the manager about their staff/smoking policy, she stated that she was not aware that any of her staff were smokers. She then went on to say that should any of the staff smoke they have to change their clothes before coming into contact with the children. Needless to say, DS will not be going.

Childminder or nanny share much nicer for a 9 month old baby than a nursery, anyway .

I walk past two nurseries on my walk to school with the dc and both of them have several members of staff outside smoking at any given time of day - even before 9am! .

Nurseries often employ a high proportion of teens and early 20s. And a much higher proportion of that age group smokes than the general population, let's face it.

I would never want a smoker to look after my child. As a CM I am so fussy about this too, when I am out and about with the little ones.

I think you are being totally (and quite understandably) over protective.

There is NO way you can ensure that your child will never come into contact with a work (be it in a care setting/hospital/dentist/supermarket).

You will encounter people smoking on the pavement in front of you as wait to cross a pedestrian crossing. You will encounter clouds of smoke as you leave your local shopping centre.

As disgusting as it is, it's a fact of life. Moreover, unless you ask your Childminder never to leave the house, there is no way she/he could avoid these things either.

The best you can do, is screen your childcare choice as thoroughly as possible by taking references, requesting to see valid First Aid certification and inspection of police clearance certificates. If you choose a nursery, google the nursery, look at the Ofsted Report and ask in the community.

Truly, this is something you cannot control. You will have to come to terms with it.

ooops - should have read - Come into contact with second hand smoke < must learn to preview >

I think you can control whether or not the primary carer of your baby is a smoker.

OP knows she cannot avoid smoke in every day life. But she is talking about people who will be in close contact with her baby day in day out.

If she would rather those people were not smokers then fair enough, I say.

I didn't say she couldn't control the primary carer, I said she couldn't control the outside world and that second hand smoke is a sad fact of life. I think that breathing in plumes of second hand smoke of a smoker walking in front of your or as you leave a shopping centre is far worse than being cuddled by somebody who had a cigarette half an hour ago and has washed their hands.

FWIW - I'd never choose an environment for my child where the primary carer was a smoker (I loathe smoking). I was just offering a bit of perspective and practical advice.

Thanks I know I cant avoid smoking ona daily basis - even though it irritates me people walk down the street smoking cant people wait til they get home - obv not!!

I think I will be more looking at a childminder as my childcare option.

I am not keen on a nanny share despite being a night nanny it is far too much hassle and inconvience for me personally and cant afford a nanny for ourselves.

Thanks for advice everyone glad no-one has thought I am being completly OTT about it.