Policy

Fun station daycare and out of school program offers the children lots of fun through different activities. Some activities require the program to go to different sites. Anytime the program plans on taking children to an off-site activity, parents will be notified in writing before the activity. Parents/guardians will be provided with a consent form to inform them about all the details of the off- site activity. Such information includes the place of destination, mode of transportation, supervision arrangements with respect to the activity, and how to contact us when we are away. Parents must sign the consent form before their child is included in the activity. If the parent does not wish their child to participate, then they must find an alternative child care provider for the day of the field trip. Anytime children are off-site, teachers will take the children’s portable records, a list of emergency phone numbers, as well as any emergency medication.

Portable emergency records and emergency phone numbers are also taken during emergency evacuations.

In case of an accident or serious illness involving a child, parents or emergency contacts will be called immediately. If required, an ambulance will also be called. A staff member or the Director will accompany the child and the parent or guardian will be directed to meet them at the emergency facility. All cost incurred are the parent’s responsibility. The centre tracks and analyzes all accidents on a form, reviewing it regularly to identify trends or issues.

Fun station daycare staff will follow the following steps.

• Assess the situation and remove any immediate danger
• Assess the child individually and provide health care in the form of first aid if necessary
• Notify the daycare director
• If a child needs medical attention beyond minor first aid, an ambulance will be called. Parents will be responsible for paying the ambulance fees.
• Parents will be notified of the accident
• An accident report will be completed and signed by the staff who witnessed the occurrence. This will be presented to the parents for their signature. Program Director will also sign the form and provide a copy to the parents if one is requested.
• In a situation where the child requires medical assistance, the Child Care Licensing Office will be notified immediately and a critical incident report will be submitted with 2 days.

Fun station daycare will provide the utmost safety procedures to protect the children and the staff of the program. Unforeseen circumstances are bound to happen. The following incidents will be reported immediately to the regional child care office.

• An emergency evacuation
• Unexpected program closure
• An intruder on the program premises
• An illness or injury to a child that requires the program to request emergency health care and/or requires the child to remain in hospital overnight.
• An error in the administration of medication by a program staff or volunteer resulting in the child becoming seriously injured or ill and requiring first aid, or the program requesting emergency health care and/or requires the child to remain in hospital overnight
• The death of a child
• An unexpected absence of a child from the program (i.e. lost child)
• A child removed from the program by a non-custodial parent or guardian
• An allegation of physical, sexual, emotional abuse and/or neglect of a child by a program staff member or volunteer.
• The commission by a child of an offence under an Act of Canada or Alberta
• A child left on the premises outside of the program’s operating hour

A Critical Incident Report (using the prescribed form) will be forwarded to the regional child care office within 2 days.

Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care will keep close observation for all children especially when they are sick. Staff will monitor the children and will inform the daycare director as soon as the child start to exhibit any signs of sickness.

If a staff member observes:

a) A child behave differently than normal and suspects he/she may be ill, they will take the child's temperature, ask them to describe how they are feeling and anything else possible to assess the wellbeing of that child.

b) A child exhibiting symptoms of vomiting, fever, diarrhea, or a new, unexplained rash or cough;

c) A child requiring greatFun Station Daycare and Out of School Care will keep close observation for all children especially when they are sick. Staff will monitor the children and will inform the daycare director as soon as the child start to exhibit any signs of sickness.

If a staff member observes:

a) A child behave differently than normal and suspects he/she may be ill, they will take the child's temperature, ask them to describe how they are feeling and anything else possible to assess the wellbeing of that child.

b) A child exhibiting symptoms of vomiting, fever, diarrhea, or a new, unexplained rash or cough;

c) A child requiring greater care and attention than can be provided without compromising the care of the other children in the program; or

d) A child having or displaying any other illness or symptom the staff member knows (or believes) may indicate that the child poses a health risk to persons on the program premises.

The child will be kept as comfortable as possible, as far away from the other children as practicable, with direct supervision from a staff member or the Program Director. Parents will be contacted for immediate pick up of their child.

The child may return to the Centre 24 hours after he/she has been free of symptoms unless the parent has obtained a physician's note stating otherwise.

Program Director or a staff member will record and document children who are ill, including the name of the child, date the child was observed to be ill, name of staff member who identified the child was ill, time the parent was initially contacted, name of staff person who contacted the parent, time the child was removed from the program and the date the child returned to the program.

If the parent fails to arrange for immediate removal of a child who is ill, the child's emergency contact will be called. If no one is available to pick up the child, the Centre may access emergency medical service by way of taking the child to the nearest hospital or by calling an ambulance, depending on the severity. Parents or the emergency contact will be informed of this decision prior to taking action. All expenses incurred will be responsibility of the parent.

Parents are also informed to seek alternate child care or to keep their child at home if their child has received one or more of the following diagnoses from a physician or other health professional:

• Chickenpox (the child can be permitted to return to the program when he or she feels well enough to participate in all activities, regardless of the state of the rash and as long as the child returns to the same group they were with one to two days before the onset of the rash);
• Diarrhea or loose stool (the child should be excluded for 24 hours until symptoms are resolved or assessed by a physician);
• Hepatitis A (the child should be excluded until 14 days after onset of illness or seven days after onset of jaundice);
• Impetigo (the child should be excluded until 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has been initiated);
• Wheezing/Persistent Coughing; (the child should be excluded until assessed by a physician or the symptoms are resolved);
• Measles (the child should be excluded until four days after the appearance of a rash);
• Mouth sores with drooling (the child should be excluded until a physician has determined that the symptoms are non-infectious);
• Mumps (the child should be excluded until nine days after onset of parotid gland swelling);
• Pertussis, or “Whooping Cough” (the child should be excluded until five days after antibiotic treatment has been completed, until three weeks after onset of symptoms, or until the coughing has stopped);
• Purulent conjunctivitis, or “Red/Pink Eye” (the child should be excluded until 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has been initiated);
• Rash, with fever or behavioural change (the child should be excluded until a physician has determined that the symptoms are non-infectious);
• Rubella (the child should be excluded until at least four days after onset of the rash, or up to five to seven days at the option of local health authority);
• Scabies, Head Lice, or other Infestation (the child should be excluded until appropriate treatment has been completed);
• Strep throat or other Streptococcal Infection (the child should be excluded until 24 hours after appropriate antibiotic treatment and cessation of the fever);
• Symptoms of Possible Severe Illness, such as lethargy, uncontrolled coughing, irritability, persistent crying, difficult breathing, wheezing (the child should be excluded until assessed by a physician or the symptoms are resolved);
• Temperature, with a fever of 38.0 degrees C or higher;
• Tuberculosis (the child should be excluded until a physician has approved his or her return)
• Vomiting – with two or more episodeser care and attention than can be provided without compromising the care of the other children in the program; or

Should a child become ill while at the program, parents will be contacted to pick up their child immediately. Until the parent arrives, the child will be kept as far away as practicable from the other children. Also during this time, the child will be directly supervised by a primary staff member or program director.

When children are sick with a non-contagious illness and require medication, Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care staff will administer the medication only when:

(a) the written consent of the child’s parent has been obtained,
(b) the medication is in the original labelled container, and
(c) the medication is administered according to the labelled directions.

Parents are to fill out the medication administration form with the following information:

(a) name of the child
(b) name of the medication
(c) dose to be given to the child
(d) The time to be given at the daycare. In case of an over the counter medication, they need to indicate the time that the last dose was administered.
(e) method of administration for example oral, eye drops, ear drops, ointment…etc

At the time of administration, staff record the following:

(a) the name of the medication;
(b) the time of administration;
(c) the amount administered;
(d) the initials of the person who administered the medication.

The staff who administers the medication must hold a valid first aid certificate

• Non-prescription medication such as Tylenol may be administered; however it must be authorized by a parent’s signature on the medication chart prior to administration and must be administered according to the label.

Medication is stored in a locked container that is inaccessible to children, and Emergency medication is stored in a place that is inaccessible to children but readily available to staff.

Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care strives to maintain a healthy environment for children and staff.

We provide and allow the provision of health care to a child only in the form of first aid and with written consent of the parents. We teach children and encourage them to wash their hands frequently, especially before and after eating and using the washroom. Children are also taught to cover their sneeze with sleeves. Toys and surfaces used by children are disinfected regularly as per health requirement, and any toys that are mouthed are disinfected as soon as they are mouthed. We use surfaces that are easy to disinfect and sterilize for eating, sleeping and changing diapers. These surfaces are disinfected on regular basis according to the health standards.

Part of maintaining a healthy environment is to maintain a healthy air quality. Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care will not allow smoking anywhere on the premises. This includes the use of e-cigarettes. We ensure that no one smokes at any time or place where child care is being provided.

Good nutrition is important to children’s development. We have developed nutrition policies to encourage good eating habits. Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care ensures that snacks are provided at appropriate times and in sufficient quantities in accordance with the needs of each child and in accordance with Canada food guide.

All menus are planned in accordance with the most recent Canada’s food guide. The menu is posted in the kitchen as well as all child care rooms for the parents and children to view.

We expect that children have breakfast before arrival to the centre as our program serves snack only in the morning and is not considered breakfast. If a child arrives after snack times listed above, snack choices may be limited.

• It is the parent’s responsibility to provide breakfast and lunch for their children. Children learn
• The staff members will monitor all children for any food allergies or special diet needs.
• We ensure that children are seated when eating and drinking.
• No beverages are provided to infants while napping.

Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care provides two snacks during the day. Each snack will include two foods in accordance with the Canada food guide. It is the parent’s responsibility to provide lunch for their children that is healthy and contains foods from all the four food groups every day. . Though we realize that fast food is convenient, we ask parents to kindly provide healthy food only not provide any carbonated drinks. Snacks will be available during the following times:

Morning Snack

• Daycare program
• 8am - 9am
• Out of School program
• 7am – 8am

Afternoon Snack

• Daycare program
• 2pm – 3pm
• Out of School program
• 3pm – 4pm

Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care ensures that we follow practices while feeding children that are appropriate for children’s age and level of development.

• Infants should always be fed with their heads upright. They may require more attention.
• No beverages may be provided to children while napping.
• Older infants and toddlers must be sitting down while eating and drinking.
• All foods and bottles are labeled with the child’s name.
• Toddlers are given an opportunity to explore with their food by allowing them to try and feed themselves. Staff assist the children as needed.
• Supervision is be provided at all times when the children are eating.
• The children must be sitting up right when they are eating and drinking.

Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care maintains a record for each child on the program premises for a period of two years in accordance with the Child Care Licensing Regulations. We require that the record be updated at least every six month by parents. We ask that all parents update their children’s records as soon as there is a change in address or phone number. The children’s records include the following information:

(a) the child’s name, date of birth and home address;
(b) a completed enrollment form;
(c) the parent’s name, home address and telephone number;
(d) the name, address and telephone number of a person who can be contacted in case of an emergency;
(e) if medication is administered,
(i) the written consent of the parent required under section 10(1) of this Schedule, and
(ii) the information required under section 10(2) of this Schedule;
(f) the particulars of any health care provided to the child, including the written consent of the child’s parent required under section 11 of this Schedule;
(g) any other relevant health information about the child provided by the child’s parent, including the child’s immunizations and allergies, if any.

We ensure that the records listed above are available for inspection

By the director at all times, and by the child’s parent at reasonable times and in accordance to the FOIP (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act)

At Fun Station Daycare and Out of School Care, we maintain on program premises up-to-date administrative records containing the following information:

(a) particulars of the daily attendance of each child, including arrival and departure times;
(b) particulars of the daily attendance of each primary staff member, including
(i) arrival and departure times, and (ii) hours spent providing child care;
(c) with respect to the program supervisor and each primary staff member,
(i) evidence of the supervisor’s or member’s child care certification, and
(ii) a current first aid certificate, where applicable;
(d) with respect to each staff member and each volunteer, verification that a current criminal record check required under that section has been provided..

We ensure that these records:

(a) are available for inspection by the director at all times,
(b) is available for inspection by the child’s parent at reasonable times, and
(c) is retained for a minimum period of 2 years.

Fun station daycare maintains a portable record for each child in accordance with the requirements of Child Care Licensing Regulations. Portable records contain all emergency information, as well as the following:

In respect of each child:

(a) the child’s name, date of birth and home address;
(c) the parent’s name, home address and telephone number;
(d) the name, address and telephone number of a person who can be contacted in case of an emergency;
(e) if medication is administered,
(g) any other relevant health information about the child provided by the child’s parent, including the child’s immunizations and allergies, if any.

Telephone numbers of the local emergency response service and poison control centre are also included with portable emergency records.

Fun station daycare and out of school care program practice fire drills and emergency evacuation on a monthly basis. Fire drills are practiced at different times of the day each time and all individuals within the premises must participate. Our procedure is as follows:

• Staff must be aware of the number of children present in each room
• Director must be aware of the number of children present in the program at all times
• Upon the sound of the alarm, each room’s staff will do a head count and help the children to exit the building in an organized manner
• Staff must ensure that they have the children’s attendance records, portable records and emergency medication with them
• All staff and children will meet at the designated muster point appointed by the director
• Director will ensure that all children have left the building, shutting all doors behind them and meet everyone at the muster point
• Director and staff will do a head count and call each person’s name to ensure 100% presence of all children
• All fire drills will be documented and filed in the emergency procedure binder
• Staff and children must not return to the premises until cleared by the director in case of a drill or by the fire department in case of a real fire
• In case of any emergency evacuation such as power or water outage, flood or any kind of natural disasters, children will be taken to safety to Celebration Church, located at 7215 Argyll Road.
• Fun station daycare center will ensure that the telephone number for an after-hours emergency program contact is posted in a place that is visible from the outside of the program premises.

This Emergency Evacuation policy is included in the parent and staff handbooks and posted at every exit in the program. Staff verbally articulate this policy to children, who come to learn it well through monthly drills.

All staff members are required to actively and directly supervise the children in their care at all times. This involves:

a) ensuring an accurate record of all children present
b) counting the children and completing roll call at regular intervals
c) remaining in the same vicinity as the children, positioning themselves so they can view the entire group, never have their back to the children
d) directing and closely monitoring children when carrying out activities that may involve some risk, such as playing near water, near doorways, or during transition times when children may gather in larger groups;
e) participating in and observing play, anticipating what may happen next with the children in order to intervene in the event of potential danger;
f) listening closely to children, even those not in direct line of sight (such as those in outdoor play spaces or areas where children nap);
g) monitoring children’s health to identify early signs of fever, illness, or unusual behaviour
h) conducting regular safety checks of the program premises and equipment to remove hazards;
i) positioning equipment and arranging the environment to allow direct supervision of children’s play, rest, and toilet areas;
j) knowing which individuals are authorized to pick-up a child from the program in place of a parent
k) noticing when children arrive and leave the program, ensuring that both arrival and departure times are accurately recorded;
l) remembering where emergency medications, first aid kits, and emergency contact numbers are kept;
m) following policies and procedures set out in the transportation policy regarding required steps to take if a child is not present during pick up from school.

These are:

i) Contact the centre to inquire whether the parent has left a message regarding the child's whereabouts.
ii) If not, check with the school office to see if the child was present that day
iii) If so, contact the parent.
iv) If the parent cannot be reached, call the emergency contact
v) If the whereabouts of the child is still unknown, contact the community police station to report a missing child.

This Supervision Policy is included in Parent and Staff Handbooks.

Believing that children display negative behaviour when they feel detached, are bored and when they’re needs are not met, we endeavor to form positive relationships with children and ensure a wide variety of developmentally appropriate, stimulating, open ended experiences are provided.

Where appropriate, children are involved in the development of rules and consequences. When an inappropriate behaviour does occur, children are reminded of why their conduct is not acceptable and what the consequences of their actions are. If the behaviour continues, a logical consequence is to be imposed.

When a conflict arises between two children, they ae taught the correct steps to conflict resolution. Staff provide active supervision to ensure children are safe and that all solution outcomes result in children feeling good about themselves and are better able to negotiate through conflicts.

By understanding the child development stages of children, we know that infants and toddlers can be quite self-centered. Because of this, duplicates of favourite toys and materials are stocked with the hopes of minimizing conflicts between children. When conflicts do occur, children are redirected when appropriate. Children are spoken to about the other child’s feelings, and are given choices for alternate actions/behaviours. For negative or improper behaviour, natural consequences are imposed after 1 or a couple of warnings.

All child disciplinary action taken is reasonable in the circumstances.

We will not, with respect to a child in the program, inflict or cause to be inflicted any form of physical punishment, verbal or physical degradation or emotional deprivation. We will not deny or threaten to deny any basic necessity, or use or permit the use of any form of physical restraint, confinement or isolation.

This discipline policy will be communicated with parents and staff at the time of registration and commencement of employment, as well through parent and staff handbooks. Children will know of this policy through everyday interactions.