Date: 08 | 06 | 23 Dear Parents / Carers,
We are pleased to inform you that Maldon Community Preschool are taking part in the Sun Safe Nurseries national accreditation programme - the content of which forms part of our duty of care to ensure the health and wellbeing of your child(ren) during pre-school hours. The scheme has been developed by national skin cancer charity 'Skcin', to assist nurseries and pre-school settings in implementing a successful Sun Safety Policy whilst educating children to increase knowledge, influence behaviour and prevent skin cancer. Whilst we recognise that some sun is good for us, Sun Safety is an important health and safety issue. Children spend almost half their childhood at pre and primary school, with a great deal of time spent outdoors. During the warmer months of the year children are exposed to Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) from the sun, the majority of which is when penetration is strongest (between 11am and 3pm). Without adequate protection, a child's delicate skin can easily burn, this can cause cumulative and irreparable damage that could significantly increase their risk of developing skin cancer in later life. The good news is that skin cancer is almost entirely preventable (around 90% of cases!) and with parental support, simple steps can be undertaken to ensure that your child is protected and can enjoy the sun safely. Please take the time to read through our Sun Safety Policy which is available to view online via the following link: https://www.sunsafenurseries.co.uk/nursery/15611 This policy demonstrates our commitment to providing a Sun Safe environment, protective measures and education. This policy provides details of the Sun Safety measures that we are implementing immediately and those that we are investigating and/or planning to implement in the future. The policy also provides parents with rationale and recommendations with regards to certain elements of the policy criteria. Parental support will play a vital role in our efforts to implement effective control measures particularly with the provision of suitable clothing, sun hats and sunscreen. In-line with our Sun Safety policy we ask that parents recognise that clothing should be considered the first line of defence when it comes to protecting our skin. As a minimum preventative measure in this respect we ask that parents ensure shoulders are kept covered with a T-shirt. We ask that parents also ensure their child has access to a suitable sun hat that is clearly labelled and brought to, or kept at pre-school from April through to the end of September. Sun hats should be either broad-brimmed (bucket style) or legionnaire to shade the face, neck, ears and cheeks. Baseball caps are not recommended as they do not provide adequate shade. Please also ensure your child is equipped with a quality sunscreen that is clearly labelled with your child's name and brought to, or kept at pre-school from April through to the end of September when application may become necessary. 
It is recommended that all sunscreen provided by parents should have a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30, (ideally SPF 50), be 'broad-spectrum' to provide both UVA and UVB protection and if labelled with a UVA star rating, carry a minimum of 4 stars. Our setting will also provide a quality sunscreen for application in the event parents have not provided their own. We recommend parents patch test this sunscreen on their child which is available upon request. As we work toward our Sun Safe accreditation, all children will learn about Sun Safety through book, song and activities, to introduce and reinforce key Sun Safe messaging and to develop their understanding of the importance of Sun Safety. Again, your support to reinforce this messaging at home will be of great benefit, helping to influence behaviours for a Sun Safe, skin cancer free future. Guidance and practical advice about the risks associated with UVR, how to prevent skin cancer and how to detect the early signs and symptoms, can be found in the 'Sun Safety and Skin Cancer' information booklets also available to download via the above link. Please fill in the reply slip attached to confirm that you have received this information along with our policy document and return to us as soon as possible. We thank you for your valued support. Maldon Community Preschool