PARENT MANUAL & POLICY HANDBOOK

Mailing Address 
Discovery Child Care Program 
P.O. Box 421
Kingsville ON
N9Y 2G1

Main Office: 733-8202      Fax: 519-733-2988

Email: director@discovery-childcare.ca
Website: www.discoverychildcareschools.com

Welcoming Letter

                Discovery is a non-profit, charitable organization run by a volunteer Board of Directors.  All the Discovery sites are staffed by Registered Early Childhood Educators, and highly qualified staff. The Discovery staff are a dedicated and professional team, focused on providing a fun, safe, and positive learning environment for the children in our care. Our goal at Discovery is to meet the childcare needs of EVERY family, taking into consideration the varying schedules and lifestyles of Today’s families. Discovery operates in accordance with the legislation under the Child Care and Early Years Act.
                The purpose of the Parent Manual and Policy Handbook is to support transparencies and communication with parents and families. It clarifies information about the services that are offered and ensures that parents and licensees share similar expectations about the program. Please read it carefully and if there are any questions do not hesitate to ask. If there are any suggestions you might have to help us meet the needs of the families we service, please let us know. We value and welcome your ideas.

Program Statement

                The Discovery School-Based Childcare Program of Kingsville Inc. seeks to support families by providing dependable, high-quality childcare that enhances the life experiences of the children and parents within our communities by following the strategies set out in the following program statement. Our philosophy is to support a continuum of learning through an environment that will offer the children many opportunities to experience success as competent, curious, complex thinkers, and rich in potential, which will foster a sense of belonging, well-being, engagement, and expression within each child (“How Does Learning Happen”, 2014). We encourage, not just learning, but also the love of learning.
                To promote the health, safety, and well-being of children, Discovery monitors the children’s health upon arrival and throughout the day and responds to any health and safety situations that may arise. If a child does not seem well at any point throughout the day, proper protocol will be followed according to our program procedure. See subsection A- Health, under the heading Health, Safety and Nutrition in the Parent Manual.  Discovery provides nutritious meals and snacks according to the Canadian Food Guide (“Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide”), and the Healthy Eating Indicators’ Tool, while establishing a positive eating environment. Children will have the option and flexibility during open snack periods to select healthy, well-balanced and nutritious foods. Lunches will be served Home-style, with staff assisting children when needed and monitoring the children’s safety. Both meal and snack times will ensure children have an opportunity to develop their self-help skills by preparing and serving food to enhance socialization, self-regulation, and language skills.
                Positive and responsive interactions is the key to building successful relationship between parents, staff and children.  Every person entering the program will be welcomed with a daily greeting, giving the opportunity for parents to tell the teacher any information regarding their child.  Staff will help children transition into the program by helping them engage in an activity. 
                Staff will be sharing information throughout the year with parents to promote communication about their child’s day.  The communication will be in the form of an email, “Remind.com,” daily logs, open houses, by providing photo documentation, or a phone call.  If time allows it will be a quick conversation at drop off/pick up. Supervisors will arrange for a site orientation with new parents and children, to familiarize them with the program. At any time, a parent can request a meeting with staff, supervisors, or the Executive Director.
                Discovery encourages mutual respect between staff and children. Children are encouraged to be responsible people capable of having a voice within the program, awareness of logical and natural consequences in decision making, problem solving and the resolution of their own conflicts. This promotes self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-regulation. Moreover, staff will show children how to acknowledge their peers with kindness, empathy, and respect; to take an interest in each other and the environment they share, using positive communication.
                Discovery has an evolving play-based, emergent curriculum, with the goal of providing an invitation for inquiry and thought-provoking interests in a child-led environment. The natural environment is a facilitator along with the childcare staff that supports the exploration in the children’s indoor and outdoor play experiences. Opportunities for creative expression and problem solving, as well as a focus on the child’s ability to self-select aspects of the environment that are stimulating, challenging, and fun is the motivation for the curriculum. Discovery provides activities, such as sensory play, science experiences, fine and gross motor activities, art and music, language, and literacy, and so on, for the children to choose from.
                Children are supplied with self-initiated and adult supported activities through their learning environment, which is unstructured, and provides for an open-ended play time of their choosing. Children will be able to decide where, when, and how to play. Discovery staff will observe and listen to children and their interests so they can build and scaffold the level of play and opportunities. For example, adults will follow the children’s lead in creating or providing props for dramatic play, and then engage with the children to further scaffold the children’s interest in an activity.
                Discovery strives to promote and create positive learning environments for each child by planning and promoting learning opportunities that are reflective of their abilities and current interests, program safety, and age-appropriate activities.  This supports the children’s learning and development because staff provide a safe welcoming environment, where children feel a sense of belonging through warm, supportive relationships with staff and peers (William Shanker p.11 How Does Learning Happen).
                The Discovery Program will provide indoor and outdoor play, as well as active play, rest and quiet time throughout the day, giving special consideration to individual children’s needs. We recognize and support children’s developing and varied self-regulation abilities in all domains (How Does Learning Happen p.29-30). We encourage staff to intertwine the children’s learning environments, by bringing the outdoors into the classroom, and indoor activities, such as art experiences, outdoors by providing the children with loose parts from their natural environment for their own creative expressions. For Rest and Quiet Time, see the Sleep Policy and Supervision heading of the Parent Manual.
                Our program is full of extraordinary events to help children recognize the importance of their community. Through field trips, special guests, unique projects, community events, social justice, family nights, and team building experiences. We involve outside agencies in our programs to provide resources to better meet the needs of children, their families, and our staff in a positive and supportive way.  Throughout the year Discovery welcomes students from high school, and post-secondary programs to help provide experience and training. 
                In accordance with the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, Discovery is committed to the ongoing professional growth of our staff, who we believe are also lifelong learners.  We encourage and support staff to engage in the continuum of professional growth and development through workshops held in-house or in our community. All staff will hold valid First Aid, CPR, and WHMIS training certificates to promote high quality care and safety within our program.
     The Discovery School-Based Childcare Program of Kingsville Inc. will support families by providing dependable, high-quality childcare. This will include, but is not limited to, an Annual environmental review (Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale), staff surveys and parent surveys, staff performance and behaviour management reviews, and staff meeting. Goals will be set based on the data reviewed from this assessment cycle. Discovery will use these assessment tool results during our Annual review of the Program Statement to better serve our families and community.

Program Statement Policy/Procedure

Purpose:

     The Discovery Program will implement a program statement policy for all individuals involved in the care of children, are made aware of the expectations set out by the program.  The staff, volunteers and students will implement the approaches set out in the Program Statement which includes prohibited practices and how management will deal with contraventions. This policy will be developed in a manner that responses to the educators and staff, and provides them with the information they need to perform their work at Discovery.
Policies and procedures required under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 are the following:

• Playground Safety
• Anaphylactic policy
• Sanitary Practices
• Sleep Supervision
• Serious Occurrence
• Drug and Medication Administration
• Supervision of Volunteers & Students
• Program Statement Implementation
• Staff Training and Development
• Criminal Reference Check/Vulnerable Sector Check
• Fire Safety & Evacuation Procedures
• Waiting List
• Parent Issues and Concerns
• Emergency Management

Individualized plans required under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014:

• Anaphylaxis
• Special Needs
• Medical Needs

Policy:

Discovery’s expectations of staff, students, and volunteers for implementing the Program Statement’s approaches is to help achieve our goals for the children in our care. This will be demonstrated after a thorough orientation has been provided for new staff, as well as existing staff by having team meetings, peer coaching and mentoring, regular professional learning sessions, and the possibility of pedagogical leaders who provide on going professional support and training. During orientation, and at annual review times, all staff are made aware that the Policy Manual’s Program Statement must be followed to ensure high quality care assurance measures/ mechanisms are being met. (Please refer to Section 1 for Compliance and Contravention Policy.)

For More Information Please Refer to the Following Resources:

The Early Years Portal
Minister’s Policy Statement on Programming and Pedagogy
How Does Learning Happen?
Think, Feel, Act - Lessons from Research about Young Children

PROGRAM STATEMENT IMPLEMENTATION POLICY

Discovery’s Program Statement Implementation Policy requires that all individuals involved in caring for the children are aware of the expectations set out by Discovery. The following are the staff expectations based on how staff, students, and volunteers are to implement the approaches in the program statement, what the prohibited practices are and how Discovery will deal with a contravention of the program statement and/ or a commission of a Prohibited Practice.

1. Staff will serve lunches Home-style, assisting those children when needed, while monitoring the children’s safety.
2. Staff will welcome Parents/ Guardians entering their classroom with a daily greeting.
3. Staff will provide information with Parents/ Guardians through various forms of communication.
4. Staff will show children how to acknowledge their peers with kindness, empathy, and respect by setting a positive example of these behaviours.
5. Staff will support the exploration in the children’s indoor and outdoor play experiences by providing activities, such as sensory play, science experiences, fine and gross motor activities, art and music, language and literacy, and so on, for the children to choose from.
6. Staff will engage with the children to further scaffold the children’s interest in an activity.
7. Staff will provide a safe welcoming environment, where children feel a sense of belonging through warm, supportive relationships with staff.
8. Staff will intertwine the children’s learning environments, by bringing the outdoors into the classroom, and indoor activities, which means making every possible attempt to go outside each and every day for the Ministry required length of time.
9. Staff will attend all staff meetings, a parent night for their classroom, one fall parent social, and one parade per year, according to the CUPE Collective Agreement.
10. All staff will hold valid First Aid, CPR, and WHMIS training certificates to promote high quality care and safety within our program.

The primary purpose of the measures Discovery will use to deal with a contravention is to assist the employee, volunteer, or student to understand that the requirements have not been met and an opportunity for improvement may exist. An employee shall be disciplined with just cause to correct attitudes or conduct that interferes with the proper, efficient operation of the program, and for not following the Program Statement expectations.

The following are disciplinary actions, which may be used if a Staff member is not following proper Policies and Procedures:

Verbal Reprimand - A verbal reprimand may be given by the supervisor or Executive Director in private, for a minor offense. A first verbal reprimand need not become part of an employee’s file and the matter should be closed when a two-way discussion has been completed.

Letter of Reprimand - When a continued or serious infraction occurs, the supervisor or Executive Director shall write a letter in consultation with the Board of Directors, to the employee stating the infraction and warning him/her against further misbehavior.  A copy of this letter must be placed in the employee’s file.

Suspension - An employee may be suspended without pay, for a specific length of time depending on the seriousness of the offense while the case is being investigated.  An employee must be given written notice of such suspension.  Any employee may grieve any disciplinary action according to the grievance procedure.

Discharge - Discharge will be used when other corrective actions have failed or are not applicable.  No notice is required where an employee is dismissed for gross misconduct (physical, sexual, verbal or inappropriate abuse of power).

Prohibited Practices - When Dealing With Children

                The Discovery School Based Child Care Program respects and supports children’s confident self-image.  The promotion of children’s positive self-esteem is taught through proper behaviour management techniques that are appropriate for the age and development level of the child and deal with the direct issues at hand. Effective behaviour management sets and reinforces limits and promotes cooperation and supports autonomy.

Discovery adheres to the CCEYA, 2014 Prohibited Practices, which will include all of the following Prohibited practices:

Section 48. No licensee shall permit, with respect to a child receiving childcare at a childcare centre it operates or at a premises where it oversees the provision of childcare,

(a) Corporal punishment of the child.
(b) physical restraint of the child, such as confining the child to a highchair, car seat, stroller, or other device for the purposes of discipline or in lieu of supervision, unless the physical restraint is for the purpose of preventing a child from hurting himself, herself, or someone else, and is used only as a last resort and only until the risk of injury is no longer imminent.
(c) locking the exits of the childcare centre or home childcare premises for the purpose of confining the child or confining the child in an area or room without adult supervision unless such confinement occurs during an emergency and is required as part of the licensee’s emergency management policies and procedures.
(d) use of harsh or degrading measures or threats or use of derogatory language directed at or used in the presence of a child that would humiliate, shame, or frighten the child or undermine his or her self-respect, dignity, or self-worth.
(e) depriving the child of basic needs including food, drink, shelter, sleep, toilet use, clothing, or bedding; or
(f) Inflicting any bodily harm on children including making children eat or drink against their will. O. Reg. 126/16, s. 34.

In the event that a Staff is found in violation of the fore mentioned Prohibited Practices, the measures that the Discovery will use to deal with contraventions of the policies and procedures and with the commission of a prohibited practice, will be immediate suspension from the Program, until it is determined if the Staff will be terminated or sent for additional training and professional development, peer mentoring, and/ or direct review of the policies and procedures with the Supervisor or Executive Director. A report will be made to the College of Early Childhood Educators if the staff is a Registered Early Childhood Educator.

Services Offered & Age Categories Served

Accounts must be in good standings to guarantee your child's scheduled Days.

Hours of Operation - 6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.  (Half days 6:30-12:30 or 12:00-6:00)

St John Site Only

All Discovery Locations

Base Fees Attending both the Before & After School -
must attended before and after for discount rate.

Full Day Program (3.8-6 years old)

Regular School-Age Base Fees

• Discovery is closed the last week of summer break before school starts. 
•  Discovery will assess through use of a survey, the need for childcare during Christmas break before deciding which, if any, sites are to be open.
• To be classified as a regular attendee, and take advantage of our regular rates, you must guarantee two days per week, every week, and submit a regular schedule or monthly calendar.
• Drop-In Service is available on an “as needed” basis provided space is available by calling into your site Supervisor or the Main Office. The base fee is $1.00 more per day than the regular rate.  Drop-In schedules are not guaranteed. (Please notify the school that your child will be attending Discovery as a drop-in once you have confirmed with your site Supervisor or the Main Office.)
• Discovery observes the following Statutory Holidays: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, & Boxing Day.
• Field trips may require an additional non-base activity fee, which would be noted on the field trip flyer. Fees will be charged directly to your account.

Registration & Attendance Guidelines

                To have your child attend the Discovery Program you must fill out a registration on-line and pay a yearly $25.00 (base fee) registration per child that is payable at the time of registration. A calendar is provided monthly to accommodate you with your monthly schedule needs. Calendars must be submitted by the 15^th of the previous month for us to accommodate your childcare scheduling needs. If a calendar is not received, then your original schedule indicated on your registration form would be the schedule reflected on your invoice. All days that a child is registered for must be paid for, even if the child does not attend. If your needs change then it is your obligation to inform the Supervisor at your site and he/she will make the necessary change on your registration form. To validate the parental notice, the Supervisor will document the date and time of the change. If written notification of vacation time, or days needed off, is given two weeks in advance, payment of fees is not required. Withdrawal from the program also requires the two-week notice.
                It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to inform Discovery of any schedule changes, such as absence due to illness, early pickups, or school events. It is also important to notify Discovery staff of any person picking up your child from the program, who is not on the child’s Registration form. Please also inform your child’s school teacher in regards to his/ her Discovery schedule.
                If a child is picked up after the closing time of 6:00 p.m. Discovery will be compensated by the parent/guardian at the rate of $1.00 (non-based fee) per minute, which will be charged directly to your account. There will be a Late Pick-Up form to be filled out and signed by staff and parent/ guardian. Our staff will be responsible for a child only until 6:30 p.m.  After that point, if we have not received a call and are unable to reach the parent or an emergency contact, we will contact the appropriate Children’s Aid Society to report a child in need of care.  Every effort will be made to contact the parent. 

Financial Information

A) Methods of Payment -   An INTERAC machine is available at the Main Office only. The acceptable forms of payment at the Discovery main office are E-transfer, Debit/Credit Card, or a Credit Card Pre-authorization form on File. Please try to avoid completing cash payments at the childcare locations.  If payment is completed at the sites, staff or supervisor will hand write you a receipt.  Please note, if making a cash payment exact change is required. To use our convenient automatic credit card system, a Credit Card Authorization form is required. E-Transfers will be sent to the email accountant@discovery-childcare.ca E-transfers are auto deposit and do not need a password.  If you need further assistance setting up the E-Transfer, please contact our Financial Assistant at the main office. Monthly invoices will be issued via email and hard copies are available upon request.  It is your responsibility to ensure payments are made in full before the first of the month, to guarantee your childcare space. Payments made after 4PM on the 1^st of the month are considered late. If payment is not received, your childcare is void until payment is made.  Your child can then return the following scheduled day.  If other suitable payment schedules need to be made you must do this through the Executive Director at 519-733-8202 (Karen Loeppgy). Please be aware that our program staff at the sites are not aware of account balances and if you have any inquiries then please contact the Main Office, 519-733-8202.

B) Overdue Accounts-    No overdue childcare fees are permitted at any time. Your child will not be able to attend the program until payments are received or a payment plan has been arranged.  This must be discussed when you receive your monthly invoice.  If parents are experiencing financial difficulties, the Executive Director will be happy to work out a viable solution.  Invoices that must be resent or constant reminders of your account being in good standing will have a non-base fee of $25.00 added to your account, for each additional message.  If you withdraw or change your schedule within the program, and do not pay those fees, a 2% interest fee will be applied monthly.  Failure to pay your childcare invoice will result in sending your fees to a collection agency.

C) CWELCC - Canada-Ontario Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System-             Discovery is committed to working with our municipal partners and the federal government to ensure the necessary information and supports are in place for our families here at Discovery.  The Discovery’s administrative team has submitted all requirements to the City of Windsor and has been approved for the CWELCC program to reduce childcare fees for our parents/guardians, with children that are six years and younger.  Discovery will follow the CWELCC program requirements, as the changes to reduce fees once again are applied.  Parents will be notified by email what the next steps will be (e.g. another reduced rate as of December 31, 2022)

Eligible parents have received a credit to their account for approved children from April 1^st to August 31, 2022.  Then received additional credit for September and October 2022.  The new discounted rate of 25% was applied for November and December invoices.  Parents that used the program during the approved timeline, where sent an e-transfer or credit was applied to their credit card if they no longer attend.

For more clarification or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the main office. 519 733-8202

D) Receipt of Payment & Tax Receipts -   Parents will be given a copy of a handwritten receipt for cash payments.  Debit receipt for debit, MasterCard/Visa payments or emailed a receipt showing what was paid through authorized payment or E-transfer.  Year End Tax Receipts will be issued by the end of February for income tax purposes.  Fees are non-refundable. Tax Receipts will be issued for the amount paid during that year.

E) Financial Assistance -  Financial assistance is available through the City of Windsor Family and Social Services department for those families that qualify. Please go to the Internet home page @ www.citywindsor.ca  select “E-Services” from the “Welcome” Menu. Then choose the first option “Child Care Assistance” from the side menu. Clients must use the “Fee subsidy calculator” to access the application instructions and forms. For assistance or if unable to complete the on-line application process, call Children’s Services @ 519-255-5312

F) Inclement weather -   If schools are closed, Discovery will also be closed.  CHYR Radio carries up-to-date broadcasts regarding school closings.  If school is cancelled because of poor weather, you will be given a credit for that day.  If the buses are not running but schools are open, Discovery will be open, and you will be required to pay for this day.  We will also send out a REMIND/Brightwheel message, notifying of the closure.  In some incidences, Discovery will choose to close our programs due to insufficient staffing related to weather.

Waiting List Policy and Procedures -  Date Policy and Procedures Updated: August 26, 2019

Purpose - This policy and the procedures within provide for waiting lists to be administered in a transparent manner. It supports the availability of information about the waiting list for prospective parents in a way that maintains the privacy and confidentiality of children.

The procedures provide steps that will be followed to place children on the waiting list, offer admission, and provide parents with information about their child’s position on the waiting list.

This policy is intended to fulfill the obligations set out under Ontario Regulation 137/15 for a childcare centre that maintains a waiting list to have related policies and procedures.

Policy - Discovery shall not charge or collect a fee or deposit for the placement of a child on a waiting list for admission into our childcare centre. The Discovery Program requires a yearly $25.00 registration fee per child, which is charged for a secured spot in the childcare centre. Discovery’s waiting list is monitored by current enrollment status, the age of the child being enrolled, and the earliest date on the applications being received by the Administrative Staff. The waiting list will be made available in a manner that maintains the privacy and confidentiality of the children listed on it, but that allows the position of a child on the list to be ascertained by the affected persons or families via a phone call to the Site Supervisor, who would be more than happy to provide this information in a confidentiality-maintained manner on the phone.

• Discovery Program will strive to accommodate all requests for the registration of a child at the childcare center.
• Where the maximum capacity of a program has been reached and spaces are unavailable for new children to be enrolled, the waiting list procedures set out below will be followed.
• No fee will be charged to parents for placing a child on the waiting list.

Procedures

Receiving a Request to Place a Child on the Waiting List - The licensee or designate will receive parental requests to place children on a waiting list via One HSN portal, Discovery website’s online application, telephone, in-person meeting, and email.

Placing a child on the Waiting List - The licensee or designate will place a child on the waiting list in chronological order, based on the date and time that the request was received.  Once a child has been placed on the waiting list, the licensee or designate will inform parents of their child’s position on the list.

Determining Placement Priority when a Space Becomes Available - When space becomes available in the program, priority will be given to children who are currently enrolled and need to move to the next age grouping, siblings of children currently enrolled, and children of staff.  Once these children have been placed, other children on the waiting list will be prioritized based on program room availability and the chronology in which the child was placed on the waiting list. 

Offering an Available Space - Parents of children on the waiting list will be notified via a phone call or email that a space has become available in their requested program.   Parents will be provided a timeframe of one week in which a response is required before the next child on the waiting list will be offered the space.

Where a parent has not responded within the given timeframe, the licensee or designate will contact the parent of the next child on the waiting list to offer them the space.

Responding to Parents who inquire about their Child’s Placement on the Waiting List -      The Site Supervisor will be the contact person for parents who wish to inquire about the status of their child’s place on the waiting list.  The Site Supervisor will respond to parent inquiries and provide the child’s current position on the list and an estimated likelihood of the child being offered a space in the program.

Maintaining Privacy and Confidentiality

                The waiting list will be maintained in a manner that protects the privacy and confidentiality of the children and families on the list and therefore only the child’s position on the waiting list will be provided to parents.  Names of other children or families and/or their placement on the waiting list will not be shared with other individuals.

Arrival and Departure

                We remind parents that we are not responsible for your children until they have entered and checked in to our supervised area.  In the morning, children will be released from our care as soon as supervision of school teaching staff is observed. School-aged children may go home unattended provided that they are 9 years of age and a signedpermission form is on file (signed by parent or guardian) and a designated person is at home waiting for the child.
                A child will not be released to any person other than those named by the registering parent on the form provided (identification will be required). If a registering parent requests our staff to release their child (via telephone) to an unlisted person, it will be done providing the identity can be confirmed through a driver’s license or other form of identification.
                A child will not be released to any person who, in the opinion of the staff on duty, is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or poses some potential threat to the safety of the child. If the parent is unable to pick up their child and wishes to have their child picked up by cab, we will release the child provided the parent is at home, waiting for him/her.  Parents are responsible to pay the cab fare. Discovery School Based Child Care Program will assume no responsibility for a child once he/she is checked out.

Health, Safety and Nutrition

A.      Health - Children who are not yet attending school will be required to submit an immunization form noting that all immunizations are currently up to date BEFORE they are allowed to start attending Discovery.
Any child who is acutely ill is to be kept at home.  If your child is too sick to participate in all activities, including outdoor play, your child is too sick to be at our program. Children cannot attend if illness prevents them from participating in the regular routines, if attending is harmful to themselves or others, or if the attention needed to care for them takes significant time away from the other children.  These provisions will be made if any of the following are witnessed:

• Unexplained or undiagnosed pain
• Acute cold with fever, runny nose and eyes, coughing and sore throat
• Difficulty breathing
• Fever over 38°C (100.4°F) and accompanying symptoms such as listlessness, sore throat/difficulty swallowing
• Undiagnosed skin or eye rash
• Headache and stiff neck
• Unexplained diarrhea or loose stool combined with vomiting and abdominal cramps
• Severe itching of body or scalp
• Known or suspected communicable diseases

Should your child’s illness be of a communicable type, all parents will be advised that their child has been exposed, and informed of the symptoms to watch for in their child/ren. Should your child contract a communicable disease such as measles, mumps, strep throat, flu, or impetigo, you must follow the the policies written by the public health, school boards and Discovery regarding treatment and the isolation period.  In some cases, a doctor’s certificate is required before your child may return to our program.  
If your child becomes ill during the day, the parent will be advised and must make arrangements to pick up the child as soon as possible.  If the parents cannot be reached, the alternate contacts will be called. 
Parents should have alternate arrangements for their child/ren in case of illness when our program cannot accommodate the child.  These arrangements should be in place when a child is registered with our program.  
B.Drug & Medication Administration Policy and Procedures Purpose -     The purpose of this policy and the procedures outlined within is to provide clear direction for staff, students and volunteers to follow for administering drugs or medication to children at the child care centre and for appropriate record-keeping.
Where the term drugs and/or medications is used in this policy, the term refers to any product with a drug identification number (DIN), with the exception of sunscreen, lotion, lip balm, bug spray, hand sanitize and diaper cream that is not used for acute, symptomatic treatment. For the purpose of this policy, drugs and medications fall into the following two categories, unless otherwise specified:

• Prescription, intended for acute, symptomatic treatment; and
• Over-the-counter, intended for acute, symptomatic treatment.

The policy and procedures support children’s health, safety and well-being by setting out measures to:

•  ensure children receive only those drugs or medications deemed necessary and appropriate by their parents;
• reduce the potential for errors;
• ensure medications do not spoil due to improper storage;
•  prevent accidental ingestion;
• administer emergency allergy and asthma drugs or medications quickly when needed; and
• safely administer drugs and medications according to established routines.

This policy is intended to fulfill the obligations set out under Ontario Regulation 137/15 for the administration of drugs and medication in a child care centre.

Note: definitions for terms used throughout this policy are provided in a Glossary at the end of the document.

Policy - Parental Authorization to Administer Medication:

Whenever possible, parents will be encouraged to administer drugs or medications to their children at home if this can be done without affecting the child’s treatment schedule.

Prescription and over-the-counter medications for acute, symptomatic treatment will only be administered to a child where a parent of the child has given written authorization to do so by completing the child care centre’s Authorization for Medication Administration (the form in Appendix A may be used). The Authorization for Medication Administration form must be accompanied by a doctor’s note for over-the-counter medications.

The authorization must include a schedule that sets out the times the drug or medication is to be given and the amounts to be administered.

Where a drug or medication is to be administered to a child on an “as needed” basis (i.e. there is no specific schedule or time of the day for administration), the drug or medication must be accompanied with a doctor’s note outlining signs and symptoms for administering the drug or medication and the appropriate dosage. In addition, the Authorization for Medication Administration Form must clearly indicate the situations under which the medication is to be given as outlined in the doctor’s note, including observable symptoms. Examples may include:

• when the child has a fever of 39.5/103.1 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit;
• when the child has a persistent cough and/or difficulty breathing’; and
• when red hives appear on the skin’, etc.

Prescription/over-the-counter skin products (with a DIN) that need to be administered for acute or symptomatic treatment will only be administered to a child where a parent of the child has given written authorization to do so by completing the child care centre’s Authorization for Medication Administration.

• Authorization for Medical Administration Forms will be reviewed with parents every 3-6 months to ensure the dosage continues to be accurate (e.g. based on the child’s age or weight).
• A long with sunscreen, lotion, lip balm, bug spray, hand sanitize and diaper cream are non-prescription and/or are not for acute (symptomatic) treatment, and due to their longer-term daily usage, these products:
• must have a blanket authorization from a parent on the enrollment form;
• can be administered without an Authorization for Medication Administration form; and
• do not require record-keeping
• Vitamins are considered a drug; therefore it is required to have the same procedure completed.

Drug and Medication Requirements

All drugs and medications to be administered to children must meet the following requirements:

All drugs and medications must be stored in their original containers as supplied by a pharmacist, or their original packages. Medications that have been removed from their original package or transferred into a different container will not be accepted or administered to children.

All drug or medication containers must be clearly labelled with:

• The child’s full name;
• The name of the drug or medication;
• The dosage of the drug or medication;
• Instructions for storage;
• Instructions for administration;
• The date of purchase of the medication for prescription medications; and
• The expiry date of the medication, if applicable.

The information provided on the written parental authorization must match with all the requirements listed above.

Where information is missing on a drug or medication label and/or the written parental authorization does not match the label on the labelled container, the child care centre will not accept or administer the medication until the label and/or written parental authorization accurately contains all the required information.

Over-the-counter epinephrine purchased for a specific child can be administered to a child with an individualized plan and emergency procedures for an anaphylactic allergy as long as it is accompanied by a doctor’s note and is clearly labeled with the child’s name, the name of the drug or medication, the dosage, the date of expiration and the instructions for storage and administration.

Drugs or medications purchased by staff, students or volunteers for their own use will be kept inaccessible (e.g. stored in locker versus left in a purse in the classroom) to children and will not be administered to children at any time, except where written parental authorization to administer has been obtained (e.g. hand sanitizer).

Drug and Medication Handling and Storage:

All drugs or medications will be kept inaccessible to children at all times in a locked container or area (e.g. in a refrigerator, cabinet, cupboard or drawer). There are exceptions for emergency medications as outlined below:

Emergency medications will never be locked up and will be made easily accessible to all staff while being kept out of the reach of children, including during outdoor play periods and off-premises activities.

Where a child has written permission to carry their emergency allergy or asthma medication, precautions will be taken to ensure that these medications are not accessible to other children (e.g., in cubbies or backpacks that are unattended).

In case of an emergency, all staff, students and volunteers will be made aware of the location of children’s emergency medications at all times.

Emergency medications will be brought on all field trips, evacuations and off-site activities.

Any topical products or drugs/medication in the first aid kit will not be used on children to clean or treat wounds. Children’s cuts and wounds will be disinfected in accordance with local public health recommendations.

All drugs and medications for children will be stored in accordance with the instructions for storage on the label. Medication requiring refrigeration will be stored in the refrigerator in a locked container.

Where drugs or medications are past their expiry date, they will be returned to the parent of the child, where possible, and this will be documented on the Authorization for Medication Administration Form.

Any drugs or medications remaining after the treatment period will be returned to a parent of the child, where possible, and this will be documented on the Authorization for Medication Administration Form.

Where attempts have been made to return a drug or medication to a parent and the parent has not taken the medication home, the person in charge of drugs and medications will ensure that the efforts made to return the drug or medication have been documented in the appropriate staff communication book (e.g. daily written record), and the drug or medication m be returned to a pharmacist for proper disposal.

Drug and Medication Administration:

• Drugs or medications will be administered according to the instructions on the label and only with written parental authorization.
• Designated person(s) in charge of medications will deal with all drugs and medications to reduce the potential for errors, whether on or off the premises. Where the person(s) is absent, they will delegate this responsibility to another individual. The name of the individual who has been delegated and the duration of the delegation will be documented in the appropriate staff communication book (e.g. daily written record).
• A drug or medication will only be administered from its original container as supplied by a pharmacist or its original package, and where the container is clearly labelled as outlined under the Drug and Medication Requirements section of this policy.
• A drug or medication will only be administered using the appropriate dispenser (e.g. syringe, measuring spoon/cup, etc.).
• To support the prompt administration of emergency medication:
• Emergency medications may be administered to a child by any person trained on the child’s individualized plan at the childcare centre; and
• Children will be allowed to carry their own asthma or emergency medication in accordance with this policy, the drug and medication administration procedures, and the child’s individualized plan, where applicable.
• Drugs or medications that are expired (including epinephrine) will not be administered at any time.

Record-Keeping:

Records of medication administration will be completed using the Records of Medication Administration every time drugs or medications are administered. Completed records will be kept in the child’s file.

Where a child’s medication administration form includes a schedule setting out specific times to administer the medication and the child is absent on a day medication would have been administered, the child’s absence will be documented on the medication administration record to account for all days during the treatment period (excluding weekends, holidays and planned closures).

If a dose is missed or given late, reasons will be documented on the record of medication administration and a parent will be notified as soon as possible as it may impact the treatment schedule or the child’s health.

Where a drug or medication is administered ‘as needed’ to treat specific symptoms outlined in a child’s medication administration form or individualized plan and emergency procedures for an anaphylactic allergy (e.g. asthma, fever, allergic reaction), the administration and the reason for administering will be documented in the appropriate staff communication book (e.g. daily written record) and in the child’s symptoms of illness record. A parent of the child will be notified.

Confidentiality

Information about a child’s medical needs will be treated confidentially and every effort will be made to protect the privacy of the child, except when information must be disclosed for the purpose of implementing the procedures in this policy and for legal reasons (e.g. to the Ministry of Education, College of Early Childhood Educators, law enforcement authorities or a Children’s Aid Society).

Additional Policy Statements

If a child were to arrive to the childcare without their medication, parents would be contact by telephone to have the medication brought into the centre as soon as possible, as to not miss a dosage. In the event, that a dose is missed it will be documented on the Drug Administration Form and in the comment section it would be noted that the medication was not on site to be administered. Once medication is completed, or no longer required, then the Head Classroom teacher or designate would make the note on the Drug Administration form that the medication has been completed and will no longer be administered.

Discovery is not responsible for administering medication during regular school hours, as the child is not in our care.

Medication, that is not Emergency Life Saving Medication, will be kept in the Medication Lock Box located above the refrigerator at all Discovery locations. The Lock Box key is located in the front pocket of the Medication Lock Box. If medication needs to be refrigerated, then the Medication Lock Box is moved into the refrigerator.

Children who are no longer receiving childcare from Discovery will have their medication sent home on their last day of attendance. In the event, that the medication is not sent home, it will be kept in the site Supervisor’s locked filing cabinet, until which time the Supervisor can get a hold of the parent/ guardian via a telephone call to come and pick up the medication as soon as possible; the parent will be contacted on a daily basis if necessary, until the medication is picked up. In the event that medication is not picked up within one week after the first contact attempt, the expired medication will be returned to the local pharmacy for proper disposal.

Head classroom teachers will be required to verify expiration dates for medication on a monthly basis, while conducting their First Aid Bag checklist for needed supplies.

Communicable Disease

When a child is diagnosed with a communicable disease; (ex. Chicken Pox) Discovery will advise the families of the other children in the program. If a child is diagnosed with a reportable disease, the supervisor will report it to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, Outbreak Management Team, along with the Supervisor filing a Serious Occurrence on the Child Care Licensing System (CCLS). If two or more children from one centre become ill with a reportable disease, the centre is in ‘Outbreak’ and must follow Discovery’s Outbreak Policy in Infection and Outbreak Control and A Guide to Common Infections manual (found in this policy manual).

Biting Incidents - are considered serious and should be looked at individually. Establish a running log of biting occurrences, so we can help prevent this behaviour from happening again.  Keep in mind that biting is age appropriate behaviour and to handle the situation calmly.  Focus your attention on the child that is injured, and not the biter.  Sometimes drawing more attention to the negative behaviour does not stop the child from acting again.  All incidents should be dealt with in a confidential manner. 

Animal Care -  Any animals coming into the program for any reason must be approved by the Executive Director.  Reptiles, particularly turtles can carry salmonella and are not permitted to be kept in the program as pets. Wild animals such as ferrets, skunks, foxes, raccoons, etc. are not permitted at Discovery as they cannot be vaccinated for rabies and have a tendency to bite individuals.  Guinea pigs, hamsters, goldfish and gerbils may be good choices to have as pets, as long as it is Director approved and responsibility is appropriately taken for them.

1.   All animals that are kept by the program must be purchased from a reputable pet store.
2.   Animals that are to remain in the program must have an examination by a veterinarian to ensure they are free from diseases that can be transmitted to humans and have an annual checkup to ensure immunizations are kept up to date.
3.  Dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies.
4.  A staff must be designated to keep the animal’s cage and or environment clean.
5.  Animal equipment cannot be cleaned in the food prep area (use custodial laundry tub)
6.  Make sure that the children that have handled the animals, pet food, cages or animal’s bedding are well supervised and wash their hands thoroughly before playing with any toys or eating.
7. No animals except for Seeing Eye dogs are allowed in the food prep area or where food is being served.
8. In the event of an animal bite, the Ministry of Health must be contacted immediately as the animal will have to be assessed for the possibility of rabies.

Smog, Heat and UV -   While the importance of physical outdoor activity is widely recognized, childcare centres need to be mindful of harmful effects of air pollutants and UV rays. Children are more vulnerable than adults. Discovery will make every attempt to keep children and staff at low risk for developing heat illnesses. Discovery will insist that all children have wide-brimmed hats and labeled water bottles sent in from home. Water is always available to children and staff. During warmer months and during smog advisories, Discovery will go outside during the cooler hours-before 10:00 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m. to minimize sun exposure. Supervisors will determine whether or not it is safe for children and staff to be outside, and if outdoor times will be restricted by contacting www.airqualityontario.ca

Smoke Free Environment- Smoking is prohibited under the CCEYA and childcare centers must comply with the Smoke Free Ontario Act under the Tobacco Control Act. Discovery will;

a.             Ensure and verify that everyone is aware that smoking is prohibited.
b.             Remove ashtrays and any object that serves as one.
c.             Ensure that no one smokes on the premises including parking lots.
d.             Post NO SMOKING signs at all entrances, exits, washrooms and other appropriate locations.