Our Policies
Accident/Incident Reporting
Incidents/Accident Reporting: All incidents and accidents are reported in written format.
Parents are to review and sign all incident/accident report forms.
Health Standards
Sick children are not permitted in the program. Please do not send a sick child to preschool . If a child becomes sick while in care, parents will be notified and asked to remove the child from the program immediately. This ensures all participants and staff remain healthy.
Health & Illness Attendance Chart
A child should not attend childcare when:
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he/she has a fever of 100 degrees (38.8 C)
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he/she has a coloured nasal discharge
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he/she has consecutive bouts of diarrhea and/or vomiting
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he/she has skin infections, undiagnosed rash, sore infected eyes, or signs of any contagious disease
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he/she has any parasite related condition
A child may return to childcare when:
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his/her fever has remained below 100 degrees (38.8 C) for 48 hours without medication
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he/she has had at least one normal bowel movement for 48 hours.
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has not vomitimed for 48 hours
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he/she has been examined by a doctor and has received medical clearance
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symptom and medication free for 48 hours.
If a child is having difficulty keeping up with the program and is showing distress due to illness, parents will be called so the child can rest in the comfort of his/her home. If a parent is unavailable the alternate person on the registration form will be called.
Emergency Procedures
Emergency numbers will be posted by the phone in the kitchen, and on the bulletin board in program room.
Evacuation procedures will be posted on the bulletin board by the door. Monthly fire drills will be conducted.
A complete first aid kit is on the premises at all times and a portable kit is taken on all excursions.
Incident reports are completed in all cases and parents asked to review and sign the forms.
Parent Information, Communication and Postings
Notices, receipts and other pertinent information will be sent home with your child.
Please ensure that you check daily with your child if any information has been sent home pertaining to the program.
Attendance and Release of Children
Children must be accompanied by an adult to and from the center. Please sign your child in and out each day. There is a $5.00 a minute late pick-up fee after 5 minutes.
Children will be released only to the adults on the application form; a phone call is not acceptable to licensing. If there are specific restrictions for access or conditions made in a custody order for your child, we must have a copy of such order before we can enforce it. If no one arrives to pick up a child, we will attempt to contact you and all the emergency/alternative contacts as listed on the child's registration form. If we still do not receive a phone call from you and cannot reach other contacts, we are required to contact the Ministry of Children and Families, and will do so, 60 minutes after the closing time of the centre. Your child will be released into their care.
According to licensing regulations, if an authorized person arrives to pick up a child and, in center's staff opinion, is not able to provide appropriate care, the child will be detained and an alternate contact from the child's file will be contacted, or the Ministry of Children and Families or the RCMP will be contacted, as required.
If your child is going to be away due to illness, holiday, etc., please call and let the center know.
Closures
Departure Bay Children's Centre will operate Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4:30pm. We are closed on all statutory holidays, christmas break, spring break, and summer break.
We will follow the Nanaimo Public Schools' decision on 'Snow Days', please check our private facebook page for closures. The decision to close will be made early in the morning so parents will be able to make alternative arrangements for childcare that day. Closures due to snow will not be refunded.
Should the centre close due to Staff emergencies or sick days, the centre will not refund any days. We will credit days the next month if it is more than two days.
Our Guidance
Discipline
It is our goal to guide children’s behaviour in an appropriate manner so that ultimately children will be self-disciplined.
Physical and emotional punishment is not part of our discipline practice. Instead we will use positive guidance, re-direction and the use of logical consequences to guide children’s behavior.
We encourage mutual respect for others and their property, as well as problem solving.
Children must take responsibility for their actions and conflicts will be resolved with the guidance and assistance of staff.
Program Objectives:
We will be aware of the developmental needs of children. Our program plans will focus on all areas of development and we will continually assess the program to ensure that the needs of the children are being met. We have established policies, procedures, rules and guidelines that will be observed on a daily basis so as to ensure maximum safety at all times for the participants.
Prevention and risk management are keys to program success.
Staff will actively participate in the program so that they may extend and expand the learning of each child.
Staff will plan and organize activities where the child can feel successful.Through positive guidance, encouragement and support from staff, each child’s self esteem will be enhanced.
A variety of cultural awareness activities will be planned on a monthly basis so as to encourage understanding and acceptance of others and their individual differences.
We will inform all staff members, children and parents of matters, which impact them and their participation in the program. We will have an open door policy.