Sun Safety Tips for Your Foster Child

Posted on 4th August 2020 by Beth Owen

As the warm days approach, good preventative skin care for your foster child is more important than ever. Especially as prolonged exposure to the sun can burn, cause irritation and can ultimately increase their risk of skin cancer later in life. Sun safety measure are therefore vital to ensure that your foster child is protected now so that they can benefit later in life.

Which is why knowing what protects your foster child in the sun, from shade to sun cream, is important in order to actually prevent burning and help them.

Sun Safety Tips

Here are the ultimate sun safety tips that you need to protect your foster child come sun or shine:

• Encourage children to play in the shade when the sun is at its peak – from 11 am to 3 pm.
• Keep babies under 6-months-old out of direct sunlight, especially during midday.
• Even on cloudy or overcast days, your child’s exposed skin (arms, legs and face) should be covered in sunscreen. SPF 15 or above should be used as anything less would not be very effective.
• Reapply sunscreen often throughout the day to ensure its effectiveness.
• Cover them up with loose cotton for better protection.
• A wide, floppy, hat with a large brim should be used to protect the neck and face.
• Ensure your foster child wears sunglasses to protect their eyes.
• If swimming, use a waterproof sunscreen and reapply after towelling them dry.

Vitamin D

Of course, the body needs sunlight in order to produce enough vitamin D for various bodily functions. However, because it important to keep a child’s skin safe in the sun and put their sun safety first, a vitamin D supplement is advised. In particular, any child between 1 and 5 years old should be given a daily supplement. Any child below one, drinks formula milk will already receive enough vitamin D. Those drinking cow’s milk, however, should also be given the supplement.

And there you have it! The perfect sun safety tips to help ensure your foster child is as safe now in the sun as they ever will be, helping to prevent issues cropping up later in life from bad childhood sun awareness.

Get in Touch

If you would like to get in touch, you can call, text or WhatsApp Rachael on 07938 575 738; or send an email to foster@lorimerfostering.com. If you would prefer us to call you, please submit your details using the form below; and we’ll get back to you soon!