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PARENT AND EMPLOYEE’S GUIDE
BAMBINOS UNIVERSE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE
Revised May 2007
Parent and Employee’s Guide - Index
Page 3 Index
Page 4 Introduction
Page 5-7 History · ECC · Luskville’s
Page 8 Intergration of a new child
Page 9 Arrival and departure
Page 10-16 Philosophy regarding food · Nutrition · Preparing a menu · Allergies
Page 17 Nap Time
Page 18-19 Potty Training
Page 20 Discipline
Page 21-22 The Educational Program
Page 23-24 Philosophy concerning organized outings
Page 25 Philosophy concerning the use of the TV
Page 26 Bi annual meetings with parents
Page 27-28 Emergency measures
Page 29 Maintenance and decoration of the rooms
INTRODUCTION
This guide is a tool for all the ECC employees. It was designed to establish a clear approach and the adjoining privileges by the centre with which it concerns the childcare services offered to the children, whichever type of service retained by the parent. The centres philosophy follows the recommendations from the “ Ministère de la Famille, des Aînés et de la Condition féminine ” in the EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM document.
This is only a guide. Information in this manual is not to be interpreted in order to enforce or react in representing the Bambinos Universe. In the event of a conflict between this guide and any other official document, employees and/or parents must refer to the official document and/or the general manager. THE ECC HISTORY
· We now hold a permit for 34 spots in the large childcare facility in Luskville and 36 spots in our second large childcare facility in Shawville. LUSKVILLE’S CHILDCARE HISTORY
It all started with Francis Charpentier, the director, Diane Daigle, a Home Childcare Provider, and a few parents who had been using different types of childcare services; such as large childcare in town, recognized home childcare services, non recognized childcare services and private home care. We became aware that the residents of Luskville were not in favour to have a large childcare in their town. People saw this as a big school, like box for young children. The general comments at the time where:
The children are separated in age categories; there is little or no exchange between children or between brothers and sisters like in home childcare services
From this comment, comes the fact that we built the playrooms with connecting doors in order to facilitate communication between multi-age groups in the morning and that family separation between siblings and parents be easier.
There are never any spots available for our school age children to be with our younger children
An application for 4 spots for school age children was made (for older siblings) until there would be a childcare developed and implemented at school
I like to see my child’s educator in the morning and at night like in home childcare services.
We could not meet the demand by giving the educators 10.5 hrs per day schedules. We created the opening/closing position in order to let the parents always meet with the same person morning and night every day. The rotating schedules of educators in charge of groups, was created in order for one of the educators be present in the morning and the other one be present at night. This way there is always one of the educators present in the morning and at night to give important information to parents.
There are to many babies in one group.
We decided from the beginning to lower the ratio to 4 instead of 5, even if it meant budget cuts for the childcare. We cannot transfer an infant spot for a spot for a child aged over 18 months.
Children change educators every year.
We opted for letting the educators graduate at the same time as their groups at the same time every year.
It’s like a school.
This is why we created a 34 spots childcare facility. Compared to other day care facilities, our childcare facility is small. We tried to reproduce a home childcare environment, with the inside like a house: such as having sofas, decorations, curtains, plants, etc… and outside by having bird feeders, a garden, compost, a clothesline, a residential adult swing, etc… Also by our choice of activities, such as walks in the forest, access to a big yard, skating rink, bicycle path, etc… and by our values written in our big sun in the entrance: Warmth, Love, Family, Helpful hands, Friendship, etc… and lastly of course, by our wonderful staff that is always warm, friendly, smiling, attentive to others and respectful, just like a big family!
Of course it is impossible to have it the exact same way the child has it at home with his/her own family. However, we have put everything in place in order to facilitate the transition for him/her and for his/her family. The fears and reflections of parents have made us who we are today. With good communication some of the fears have gone away, but not all. Let’s not forget that the parent’s comments have contributed to our success and popularity in this field.
Another historical fact, why “Bambinos Universe”? We looked around the childcare facility in Luskville and saw the mountains. At that time there where a few businesses in Luskville using the mountain name: Les Charmes de la Montagne, the Restaurant Les Montagnards, etc… another factor was the deer (ie. “Bambi”) we liked Bambi a lot and we also liked Universe which was perfect for our little world. “Bambi Universe”? No! Too much Walt Disney!! That night we finished our meeting brainstorming on a name. That evening a television program was playing called “Omertà”, an Italian mafia story, therefore, somebody thought of Bambinos! And there it was, The “Bambinos Universe”!!!
To make a long story short, someone suggested that the history of the childcare name be written somewhere in our documents for parents and employees. We realized that there is only one person left that knows about this story. It is important that we do not forget our origins and this is why we are still there today.
There you have it!! We also based our Shawville day care facility on our experiences with our Luskville day care facility and keeping in mind the comments from the residents of Shawville and the surroundings area. INTEGRATION OF A NEW CHILD
In this document, we would like to give different ways to proceed in the integration of a child. It is certain that in the beginning the parent knows their child better than the staff at the childcare facility; therefore, it is better to know how their child may react to a new environment and the seperation between child and parent. Therefore, these tools will be of great help…
- Once the parent makes the decision to accept a spot at the childcare facility, no matter what age, it is important that the child come to visit the facility with Mom and Dad in order to see the placem ti meet staff and other children. This may be done during registration. - After the visit, there will be a registration where there will be required documents to fill out. This is done in the office during a period of 45 minutes. The child can choose to stay with the parent in the office or to stay in the room with their new educator and their new friends. At the time during the first day, there may be more to be expected from the surroundings and to recognize new faces. - During the registration we will discuss the best way to integrate the child during their first week. - At the time of these first days, for certain children, it may be that the parent will have to stay in the room for a certain amount of time and then leave, this will reassure the child. Yet, it may be different for others where the separation may be more difficult. - So, during the first few mornings, it is best that an exchange of ideas on what to do on this subject between the educator and the parent. Also if need be on the best way to do it. - For the duration of time that the child should spend at the childcare facility the first few days, we suggest half-days and if all goes well full days. Or simply, start with a full days if the parent believes that all will go well due to the fact that the child has been in a childcare service or other.. However, once again, there must be a good communication between the parent and the educator to ajust to the needs of the child. - The coordinator of the childcare facility may suggest other ulternatives. Alternatives.
Finally, the parent is the best person to suggest the best way to integrate their child. After a few days, when the educator gets to know the child better and they see the child’s reaction to the separation with the parent and following the departure of the parent, they can sugget other ways to go about dealing with these situations. There fore communication between the parent and educator remains a crucial step in the arrival of a new child to the childcare facility. ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
At the time of arrival and at departure the ECC is confident that the educators will do the following:
UPON ARRIVAL:
Undress your child in the locker area or in the baby room and then bring your child inside the play room, the staff members must know your child has arrived.
Be sure to wash your child’s hands upon arrival, if they are having breakfast at daycare.
Demonstrate warmness and smiles to the children, parents and staff;
Initiate appropriate conversations with each other;
Receive and give all helpful and necessary information to the daycare and to parents only about their children;
Verify the state of health of the child when arriving in order to see if he/she will be able to follow the regular program of the day.
AT DEPARTURE:
Read your child’s personal agenda; be aware of the menu and the programming sheet on the parent board.
Make sure that the person that comes to pick-up the child is on the registration form and authorized by the person responsible of the child;
Verify an identification card if need be;
Make sure that the child leaves the daycare safely; be sure that a staff member has seen you leave with your child, especially if you are outside.
The children that leave the daycare and are going to the parking lot, must be always accompagnied by a parent, this is mandatory.
NUTRITION
The menu offered in childcare must be well balanced, with a wide variety of foods and must respect the Canadian Food Guide. Everyday, children will receive 1 meal and 2 snacks which include 2 portions of each of the four food groups: meat and substitute, fruit and vegetables, milk and milk products, and bread and cereal products.
The kitchen staff is responsible for preparing the meals and snacks, bringing the trays of food and utensils to the designated meal areas. They are also responsible for bringing back the leftovers and the dirty dishes to the kitchen for clean up (washing and drying of the dishes). The educators are responsible for serving the meals and snacks once the food is brought to the meal areas. This is part of the educational program of each day.
We encourage the educators to:
Sit down and eat with the children;
Show good eating habits to the children;
Encourage children to eat when they are hungry;
Encourage children to taste new foods;
Offer nutritional deserts to children;
Offer the beverage to the children after the meal;
Serve a second portion to children who are still hungry and ask for it;
Encourage pleasant discussions between and among children and adults;
Give children enough time to eat while respecting the given schedule;
Let the child leave the table when finished in order to proceed with the cleaning-up and the after meal activity;
Encourage the children to help each other and to be more dependants (serving the snacks, the juice or milk, etc.)
Adapt their interventions with the needs of the children.
Interventions are always done in evaluating each child’s situation (therefore case by case) and within the groups dynamics where we can find what is needed. Ex : a child that sees bananas on the counter and would like to eat the bananas, therefore we give an equal portion to their meal or once again a child that does not like a food at first no one likes this food!! PREPARING A MENU
Juice : - Juice will be served once a week in the menu. Juice that is offered will be the best quality, that saying, made with 100% juice, not concentrated and with no sugar added. (ex : Tropicana) - During the day where juice is served, milk will be served at one of the 2 snacks. - The child will have the choice between milk or juice.
Milk : - Milk that is offered to the children is « homo » milk 3.25%. Each child will have 1 to 2 portions per day.
Sugars : - « Sugar » desserts will be offered 1 ½ per week. - The 1TIME is during the community lunch on Fridays where the groups eat together from the infant room to the older group. This will be the dessert of the week and of the “special” lunch. (ex : overturned fruit). - The ½ TIME is a healthy snack that may contain a hidden sugar (ex. : instant pudding Jell-O with fruit, granola bar made with a healthy cereal with a marshmallow base, date squares with honey, etc.).
Birthday cakes : - Birthday cakes are not counted in the aboved mentioned. However, the cakes are always accompanied with fruit that is normally given at the end of the meal at lunch. - Luskville : The date of birth of a child that arrives during the week will be celebrated on that same day unless it is the childcare facilities birthday or for other reasons (ex : Christmas party). If the birthday falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the birthday will be celebrated on the Friday at the community lunch. - If the snack that day is considered a (sugar) snack, it will be changed to a fruit or vegetable. - Shawville : All birthdays are celebrated on Fridays. For part time children that do not attend on Fridays, they will be celebrated on Thursdays.
Slices of bread : - The slices of bread that accompany the meal are always served with no butter or margarine with the exception of garlic bread.
Aliment ‘maison” - We make it important to serve has many foods home made has possible. Example: salad dressings, salsa, dips, desserts, muffin, etc…
Recipe choices : - It is the cooks responsability to choose recipes that contain very little sugar and salt in order to use the lease amount as possible.
Cold meats : - Comercialized cold cuts are not offered at the daycare facility.
Hot-Dogs : - Hot-dogs are not in the childcare facilities menu. However, it may happen during a special activity (ex : picnic in the woods during the winter), we will prepare hot-dogs made with 100% veggies or tofu. - The hot-dogs will be cut in the length sense in order to avoid a risk of choking. - However, in the event of a special activity outside the hours of operation (ex. : Open House) « regular »hot-dogs will be served. The responsibility will become the parents whether to serve the hot-dog to their child or not.
Raw food : - Hard foods that may cause a risk of chocking are cut up in a systematic fashion in the groups of children from the infant room to the 18 months. - It becomes the educators’ judgement regarding the evolution of each child in their group during the year. - Raw food are equally adapted to the individual needs of each child in the age group 2 ½ years and up if the parent has advised the educator.
Batter : - Fish that is offered is breaded with a multi-grain batter.
Varied menu offered: - A minimum of 4 weeks of menu is offered in rotation during the year. This is to offer a variety of meal choices. - Possibility of a summer menu with a minimum of a 3 week rotation.
Food allergies : - We offer a service open to solutions for children who suffer from food allergies. - Each case will be evaluated in fonction with the the family’s expectations and needs.
Food brought from home : - It is not permitted for a parent to bring food from home for a meal for their child unless there are important medical reasons. This is to avoid arousing envy from the other children and the creation of dynamics for a difficult group or again for safety reasons regarding the existing allergies in the childcare facility. - A breakfast may be brought to the childcare facility (must be finished by 8:00 am), but the food must be « healthy ». - If there are allerigies of certain products among other children, these products must not be found in the breakfast of your child at the childcare facility. - You will find in the internal regualtions a list of healthy breakfasts’s that you could bring for breakfast.
For the continuity of good service offered: - In order to ensure the continuation of service offered to the children and to parents, the cook, must create work tools to the event of absences predicted or not. - A type of document found in a binder where it is indicated the standard recipes, adapted quantities and the portions are found. - A list of companies with the contact names, their telephone numbers and the details concerning when orders are to be done and the when the orders are to be delivered. - Prepare order types per week ex.: milk products. - List of professional people to call in the event that a repair or maintenance needs to be done on equipment in the kitchen. - Table of the particular needs for certain children. Related to allergies, intolereneces or other… - A schedule for a day in the kitchen.
We hope this document permits you to better understand our way of seeing nutrition in our childcare service. Our cooks take the health of your children to heart…
ALLERGIES
Intolerance: Impossible to ingest certain medication or food.
At risk: Danger: Possible allergy to something we are exposed to.
Allergy: Abnormal excessive reaction of the body to an allergen to which he/she is particularly sensitive to.
We will follow these steps when a child has an allergy.
Steps to follow in a childcare facility concerning food allergies:
Forms to fill-out at registration elaborating in detail all the known allergies and the treatment to administer in case of an allergic incident.
In the registration forms, the parent must describe in a detailed way the child’s allergies, and the appropriate treatment in case of an allergic incident. The parents should also enclose a detailed letter or a copy of the medical report filled-in by a doctor or an allergy specialist. It is also the parent’s responsibility to enclose at regular times an up-to-date list of any additional allergies their child(ren) could have.
Elaboration from the parents of the allergy symptoms (redness, skin irritations, convulsions, swelling, etc.) on their child.
On the application form there will be a section for the elaboration of the allergy symptoms in order for the daycare staff to detect as soon as possible an allergic reaction on the child and this will help the staff member to react adequately.
Role and responsibility of the Directors and of the staff of the ECC.
Once the child is registered at the ECC, and before the arrival of the child at daycare, the coordinator must communicate to all the staff the important information about the child’s allergies. If an incident occurs the staff must consult the child’s file and follow the steps to be taken that where elaborated with the parent at registration.
Posting the picture of the child and the list of allergens in the child’s room close to where the meals and snacks are given and eaten.
This is to facilitate the recognition of the allergic child in case there is a replacement staff member.
The picture and the list of foods the child is allergic to must be posted and well seen in the lunch room and the kitchen.
Notifying the parent of an allergic reaction the child had and measures taken.
The staff must immediately call 9-1-1 and notify the child’s parents of the situation if an allergic reaction should occur, and verify with the parent if there is specific instructions to follow.
Role and responsibility of the cook, the educators and/or the replacement staff.
The cook must take in considerations all of the cases of allergies while preparing and cooking the meals. Without limitations, this implicates to be aware of all the cases of allergies among the children. The cook must post the list of the foods of every child who is allergic, verify the ingredients and the contents of ready made foods. He/she must also take this into consideration while preparing all of his/her recipes and the preparation of the meals and snacks.
Role and responsibility of the ECC’s staff during an allergic incident.
The educator that notices that a child is having an allergic reaction must take care of that child as a priority. He/she must call 9-1-1 and inform the coordinator of the situation. The child’s file must be consulted in order to apply all the necessary measures / directives as discussed with the parent(s). The educator must fill-out an accident report and describe in detail, the allergic incident. (Ex. What did the child eat?, under what circumstances?, his/her symptoms, the measures taken to rectify the allergic situation, etc).
In case of the absence of the child’s educator or after a long absence of a staff member.
It is essential that the person in charge communicate with the entire staff subject to treat this child all the allergies of that child.
If a staff member has been absent of the ECC for a long period of time, ex: sick leave, maternity leave, leave of absence, or other, it is absolutely essential that this person ask the other staff members the particular cases of allergies among the children at the ECC.
Restricted foods from daycare.
It is not allowed for parents to bring food to the that contain allergen to which children are allergic to. Nor will the center offer any foods.
General obligations and responsibilities
Each ECC staff member must react at all times in a reasonable and prudent manner in order to avoid all allergic incidents and to minimize the consequences if an allergic incident occurs in daycare. It is vital to be prudent and vigilant when it concerns allergies to food.
It is important to be aware that allergies, as well as the seriousness or the degree of severity, are not always known with the child(ren) and may develop at a fast rate. Due to the difficulty of knowing, we must at all times react with caution and prevention.
Communication to parents.
**The parent(s) of a child with allergies can inform the other parents of the daycare either in writing or verbally for their co-operation in order to minimize and/or avoid the risks of allergic incident from happening.
**The ECC will inform the parents on how to prevent allergic reactions from happening.
NAP TIME
In the nursery, the children can have a nap period in the morning and one in the afternoon, which is usually after lunch. The parent and the educator must agree on the time and the duration of the nap. To decide together when the morning nap will no longer be necessary and to re-adjust as weeks go by with the changing needs of each child. It will be very important to have followed the same routine at home as well as at daycare, in order to have a good consistency between the two places for the well being of the child. Keep in mind that there are quite a few children in the groups at daycare and there is a routine for meals, playtime, going outside, etc… Therefore, the educator will establish, as time goes by a routine for naps in order to meet the needs of the child as well as the needs of all the children in his/her group. Good communication between parents and educators is the key to success.
It is very important to communicate and bring to daycare the things the child will need for his/her nap. Ex: A pacifier (that will stay at daycare in case the parent forgets the pacifier at home), a blanket that will remind the child of their home setting, a teddy bear or any other soft toy that will bring security to the child. The best time to remove the pacifier from the child will once again be at the need of the child, and with a good communication between parents and educators. The interventions with the child will have to be done in compliance with the two places.
In the junior-intermediate group (1 ½ - 2 ½ yrs), there is a naptime after lunch beginning between 12:30 p.m.-1:00 p.m., and ending around 3:00 p.m... If some children are awake sooner, there are quite games on the tables in the room in order to let the other children continue their nap.
In the intermediate-preschool groups (2 ½-5yrs), there is also a nap in the afternoon beginning around 1:00 p.m. and ending around 3:00 p.m. There again, there are quite games on the tables in the room in order to let those who need more sleep to continue their nap. The children who need more sleep are usually in one room (room 1) and those that don’t need as much sleep are in another room (room 2). When the children from the first room are finished their nap they can join the children in the second room to play until all the children are awake.
For the preschoolers group who are preparing for kindergarden, we cut down on their naps and then we alternate every day from nap to relaxation. At the end, the children that are going to school only do relaxation periods. The relaxation periods last about 30 minutes and during these periods there is usually relaxing music, books on their mats to read, quite games, etc. We have adapted this routine in relations with the routine at kinder garden in order to have continuity for the child when he/she will begin going to school. The most important thing of all in the sleep routine is the good communication between the parents and the educators. It is the child that will benefit from all of these advantages. Wishing you a good nap!!Reference books available at the ECC : « Le sommeil chez les enfants et ses problématiques ». POTTING TRAINING
In the infant room, children that are present are usually the age of two or under. Therefore, some of the children could show an interest for potty training. In the middle of the year, this group of children will be present most of the time with the older group that are 1 ½- 2 ½ years old. Observing the older children that go on the toilet or on the potty could stimulate the younger children to do the same. This is why there will be a potty in the infant room in case a child should be interested in potty training.
It is in the next room that potty training usually really begins. We do not force children if they are not ready. Potty training is usually done as a game with the other children, by telling stories on the subject or other… Every educator uses his/her imagination and creativity in order to encourage the child on this path. It is very important that the steps taken at daycare be continued at home. If this is not the case, there could be mixed signals given to the child, and this could make potty training a difficult time for him/her. Here are a few tips to help the child achieve this step. Indications that will inform us of the maturity of the child • The child is
clean and dry for more that two consecutive hours. It is normal to have ups and downs while potty training. The «relapses» are a part of potty training. There is no use in reprimanding a child that has had an accident, and it is important not to dramatize the incident as well as to encourage the child to find ways to make it better the next time. All depending on the evolution of the child, the child’s educator will ask the parent to bring into daycare things that will facilitate the work. For example: Diapers like pulls-ups, underpants that are very absorbent and a lot of clothes for changes in case of accidents!!
It is sometimes difficult for a child to have to go through these steps and remember that it does not happen overnight. Let’s all be conscious that with good communication between the educator and the parents we are giving the child better chances of success.
For the other groups, the educator is sometimes present in the bathroom and sometimes not. This depends on the child, if the child is at ease to be accompanied and if he/she is ready and able to wipe himself/herself after going to the bathroom. It is very important that the educator and the parent have good verbal exchange and can communicate all the information on the ways of doing this at home because every family is different!!
In the last group, if the child is not capable of going alone, there will be work done with the educator and the parent to get the child used to going alone before he/she starts school.
Therefore, the word of order is PATIENCE, every child has his/her own pace, and we can only make sure to give him/her necessary tools in order to elevate his/her self confidence.
DISCIPLINE
The ECC firmly believes that the child is the first agent of his/her development therefore we tend to have a democratic approach with him/her.
In order to do so, the ECC establishes simple life regulations: · We walk inside the childcare, outside we can run. · We talk softly inside the daycare, outside we can talk louder. · We sit at the table in order to eat our meals and snacks. · We are respectful to our friends and adults around us. · We are respectful to the nature and to the things that surround us.
The educators must: · Encourage problem solving among children. · Encourage the children to talk about their emotions. · Let the children bring solutions themselves to a problem. · Give children reasonable and convenient choices. · Apply natural and logical consequences. · Change our ways of interventions when the situation degenerates.
Acceptable interventions for the ECC are the following: · Let the children live with the consequences of their choices. · Give the children the choice to do something so with the help of an adult or by themselves. · Restrain a child that is out of control in order to prevent injuries to himself/herself or to others, until he/she has taken control of his/her emotions. · Take a side a child that has an emotional situation and let him/her have attention only when he/she is in control of his/her emotions and then have a follow-up with him/her. · Validate all the emotions of the child and show empathy towards him/her. · Time out for 1 minute per age (ex.: 1 min. – 1 year old, 4 min. – 4 year old) where the child is way from the group, depending on the severity of the behaviour. The educator keeps them within sight and does a follow up o the behaviour.
THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
The educators of the ECC use the educational program administered by the MFACF with attention and conviction.
This program contains 5 basic principles:
The children are separated in age groups and an educator is assigned to one group:
Group Age Ray of sunshine: 6-18 months Shooting stars: 18-30 months Rocketships: 2-3 years Planets: 3-4 years Rainbows: 4-5 years These are approximate ages per group!!!
Each educator is assigned and responsible for the basic application of the structure of the room. Therefore he/she must:
Ø Organize his/her room with activity corners keeping in mind the interests of the children especially with games;
Ø Let the children have direct contact with the material in the organisation of his/her room;
Ø Encourage the global development reaching every dimension of the person;
Ø Give children enough material in order for it to be appropriate, stimulating, presentable and multipurpose.
Each educator is responsible for applying the basic level of structure in activities. Therefore he/she must:
Ø Establish and follow a regular schedule;
Ø Encourage children to participate in the changing of the rooms;
Ø Let the children choose the activities;
Ø Keep in mind the individual needs of the children in the activity schedule;
Ø Encourage the children to be creative;
Ø Encourage open activities which touches every aspect of their development;
Ø Use all kinds of animation and structure methods;
Ø Adopt animation activities that encourage the child to participate;
Ø Give each child special attention during activities;
Ø Use the games as a stimulant;
Ø Encourage all kinds of activities and play;
Ø Encourage exchanges among children;
Ø Encourage the consistency between the activities at the centre and those of the family at home;
Ø Encourage positive discussion between parents.
Each educator is responsible of the basic application of the democratic intervention. Therefore he/she must:
Ø Let the child participate in the decisions that concern them, let the child verbalize their needs, emotions, limits and negotiate the acceptable solutions;
Ø Communicate with the child using games;
Ø Praise the child that plays;
Ø Schedule observation periods;
Ø Observe each child;
Ø Adopt a positive attitude towards parents. PHILOSOPHY CONCERNING ORGANIZED OUTINGS
The ECC uses a private transport (bus) and ensures that the bus company has a valid permit with the “transport commission of Quebec”.
While using the outside spaces or sites, the ECC makes sure that this site has a secure and adequate welcome structure. If necessary, the ECC will consider: Restoration, health and hygiene, communication, animation, logistics and structure, as well as insurances.
Obtaining a written authorization from the parents for each outings while being precise on the fact that there will be transport (Art. 48)Þ The child’s registration form must be precise on the conditions in order to authorize the participation of a child to outings organized by the ECC (see Annexe 1). This registration form should be given to the parent at least 2 weeks before the outing in order to facilitate the outing related questions that the parent may have.
Having a maximum ratio of 1 adult for every 3 children in the 1 ½ to 2 ½ years old. Having a maximum ratio of 1 adult for every 4 children in the 2 ½ to 5 years old. The ratio could be of smaller quantity, depending on the activity or outing.
While being a part of the regulations, the ECC must put in place the measures to be taken in case the ratio is not being respected.
A. Add more educators (if possible) B. Ask for the participation of more parents C. Leave a few children at the ECC. D. Cancel the outing
If the parent refuses that his/her child participate at the outing, the child will have to stay at daycare with another educator.
Having identification for each child like same coloured shirts, however concerning the identification of the child while being on outings, the “Sûreté du Québec”, the municipal police services and “Parents-Secours” do not recommend the use of external identification (name tags, necklace, etc.) because the child would be more receptive to solicitation if a stranger refers to him/her by his/her own name. The use of the «snake» with a handle for every child is useful for on location going around. Every educator will use this procedure with his/her group.
Explain to the children and to the parents the schedule of the day, the rules to be respected in case they become lost or alone in an unknown place and always bring a First-Aid kit containing the basic articles (see enclosed). Also bring personal medication for a specific child if needed (ex.: Epipen).
Make and keep handy a list of all the children participating at the activity or outing as well as their accompanist. Ideally this list should have the health card number, the (ex. :Épipen), phone # for emergency purposes, as well as the name of the person to contact in case of an emergency.
Please restrain from smoking while on outings in order to respect the children and by understanding the role of the accompanist.
The accompanist must follow the same rules with their own children as those applied with the other children that don’t have accompanists. For example: Restrain from bringing any sweets, or buying food in cafeterias that could cause allergies to other children. There is always a picnic, as well as snacks and drinks available for the entire group. This is in order to avoid sorrow to children that do not have an accompanist.
Make sure that the children are well dressed for the outing in order for the child to participate to all the activities like the other children.
Bring a change of clothes (diapers, clothes…).
Bring plastic bags (in case of a sick child), facial tissues, wet-naps, drinks, a picnic (if needed), sun screen and insect repellent (if necessary). You can also bring a camera to immortalize and bring back home those special moments!
Take note of the attendance regularly. For example: before the departure of the bus and in order to verify if our list is consistent and that there are no late ones or absences during the activity and at departure on the bus. The best way is to sign the presence register each time attendance is taken.
Have a person responsible for attendance and of the fees (if applicable) for the outing.
The educator is responsible of counting the children and the accompanists in his/her group and informing the person who is in charge of the attendances.
Have a cellular phone available.
On the bus, all children must remain seated on the bench, not standing and not on the knees of the parent or accompanist.
Always have a car following the bus.
And last but not least, parents are always welcome at our outings!
PHILOSOPHY CONCERNING THE USE OF TELEVISION
What is advocated in our childcare service is the use of television in our educational setting, for special theme days or for our Friday community lunches. Here are more details…
Educational setting:
- At the time of a specific theme such as firefighters ( movie: “Fire Fire Nice Fire”, 10 minutes), or hygiene ( movie : “Bye bye to germs”, 10 minutes). - At the time of a special party such as a Pyjama Party, Christmas, Easter, St-Valentines, Halloween, etc…there could be a movie presentation on these themes after a Friday community lunch. (Maximum 30 minutes). - An exercise video to do some physical activity with the children. - Videos with singing and dancing such as Barney, Carmen Campagne or Annie Brocoli.
Community lunches:
- Every Friday, we have a community lunch where all the children, from the infants to the older children will eat together in the 2 adjoining rooms. The cook will bring the food into the rooms and the serving will be done directly with the children. This is the “special” of the week and the children appreciate this type of lunch where everyone can sit with which ever friend or educator they chose (Luskville). - AFTER the community lunch, this is a time that is very busy and the educators must clean up very quickly – the floors, tables, chairs and return to their respective rooms. Therefore, to permit these tasks to be completed quickly and efficiently we have the children assemble in room 4 (multi-purpose room) and we put a movie on for a maximum duration of 30 minutes. - During the clean-up and the preparation of the mats/cots, and the watching of the movie, another educator will ensure that each child goes to the washroom, washes their hands and brushes their teeth. - Finally, we return to each of our own rooms, we prepare for a story and for rest time. - Therefore, for community lunches, the younger children will watch television for a shorter period of time because their room is prepared in less time. The older children will watch television for a maximum of 30 minutes or until the other groups return to their respective rooms.
PS : At the time of a specific theme, if you have a movie that relates to the theme, you may bring it in to your child’s educator. Same as books, games or toys… Thank you !
BIANNUAL MEETINGS WITH PARENTS
During these meetings, we look at points observed concerning the development of your child, as well as the learning that is being acquired. You can easily surround the evolution of your child. We predict a meeting twice a year between parents and their educator, meaning, one in the fall and another in the spring. The meeting in the fall is more formal and it helps in determining what will the objectives will be at daycare and at home. The meeting in the spring is a review on what has transpired during the year since the last meeting. This will be done with an observation chart or a résumé. We hope that this will help to facilitate a good exchange between the parent and the educator.
Observation charts: The observation charts should touch certain development aspects; motor skills, emotional and social development, cognitive or intellectual development and language development.
This presents evidently only a portion of the experiences lived by the child. Nevertheless this allows to describe the child’s habits that have been observed and, from there, identify the child’s needs. In terms of this step, it will be pertinent:
1. That an exchange be done between the parents and the educator in order to exchange useful information; 2. To establish precise objectives for each child; 3. To conceive the learning experiences adapted to the needs identified; 4. To evaluate the effectiveness of these measures.
It is understood, not to be agitated for a general indication that each child develops at their rhythm and sequence. The observer can if needed, add comments at the end to illustrate complete or clarify certain observations.
These meetings are beneficial: - For the child, because they benefit from a continuity from home to the daycare and vise - versa. - For the parents, because they can better know their child when they are outside the home and permits them to see all the effective work done by the child’s educator to better support their child in their learning. - For the educators, because the parents often give the right path so they can better give a personalized way to the child and also so they feel worthy by the parents in the work they do that is not always easy that they give to their group. It is important to respond to the survey given to the parents for the scheduled meetings, if not, your choices will be very limited because the scheduling will go with the parents who have responded. If you do not present your self for the meeting, there will be no other times determined for your meeting unless you have called and told in advance. We hire extra staff to replace the educators in advance for these meetings EMERGENCY MEASURES
In the event of a fire drill and the building is being evacuated, each educator must make sure: - The the windows and doors in the room are closed; this will avoid the smoke becoming too thick. If a child is left inside it will be easier to find the child quickly to evacuate. - To take from their clip board the attendance sheet for that day including the emergency telephone numbers and medical insurance numbers. (List put in an envelope behind the booklet). - To take the “Snake” to facilitate the evacuation and control of the group during and after the evacuation is complete. - Direct the children to the fartest point in the outside yard. - The person in charge of food preparation (Cook) must ensure that the oven/stove and doors are closed, to help the educator in the infant room evacuate the infants. - In the outdoor shed, there is to be thermo blankets, emergency telephone numbers of the parents. - Under the balcony of the west side door of the daycre (hanging on a nail), there is a second key for the shed along with a key for the west side door. - An authorisation slip has been signed by each parent to transport their child by vehicle (even without appropriate car seats, however with at least a seat belt), if the time is not appropriate to stay until they arrive. - For Luskville: We can take the children to “Dépanneur Poirier” and/or the Luskville Community Centre near « Hôtel de Ville ». - For Shawville: We can take the children to the hospital.
What is to be done in the event there is a power outage?:
- Call the hydro company to find out how long the power will be out. - If the power will be out all night until the next day and it is 20 degrees below outside, can the well freeze, meaning no water? - Can the children become cold? (During winter). - Is there a possibility to serve lunch and snacks, if not, what will be the alternatives? (To use the butaune burner in the electrical room, make sandwiches, etc…). - Is it possible to ensure a minimum of hygiene? Purchased bottle water for the toilets, to wash hands with wipes… - At the end of the day the emergency lights are good for a few hours (to be determined…) If there are late parents, blocked roads, etc. There is a flashlight in the kitchen on the charger under the freezer and another in the staff room. Emergency candles are in the second drawer in the office.
In the event of a snow storm: - The parents are contacted that arrive at the daycare early and then the remaining parents are called. - The directors and the head teacher mut have at home an updated list of parents’ telephone numbers in order to facilitate the calls to go as quickly as possible.
A system alarm problem:
- Call the central (see telephone number on the labels found on doors and windows) to obtain information. - Be sure to know you own NIP (4 digit number) because they will ask for it. - If there is a problem with the alarm system due to a power outage or other, after 1 hour of problems, and the daycare is closed, ther are 3 people that can be contacted at home asked to go see what is going on at the daycare. These people were chosen due to the proximity at the daycare and their availablity to travel to the daycare during the night. - If this situation occurs, the person is paid 3 hours for the call out (travelling to the daycare). - If in the event the alarm goes off due to something burning for example, we must call the central to inform them not to send the firefighters. See numbers on the labels on the windows and doors.
A major water leak at the daycare:
- Shut the main water line off, the main line is found in the electrical room. Turn the yellow-orange handle found on the floor where it is indicated “ Fast Valve On-Off”. - Call a plumber.
MAINTENANCE AND DECORATION OF THE ROOMS
At the end of the day the parents must take the children’s personal things in their children’s locker within this will help with the clean up at night. This goes for booth and/or clothing, art work, toys, etc…
At the end of each day the educators must do what is needed to facilitate the cleaner’s job in the evening. Such as: clean counter tops, lift chairs and /or toys, etc…
Be sure every Friday that you bring your child’s blanket home to wash and to also verify on a regular basis your child’s cubby for extra clothes, to make sure they still fit and there is still some left.
Hang the paintings, drawings, art and other of the children. So that the child can admire their work of art… After a few weeks the art is sent home or put into the child’s duo-tang.
The educators follow the “Cleaning check list” for the cleanning and disinfecting (See attached).
Regarding the decoration, not to decorate the walls and/or ceilings using push pins, tape or other sticky items that may damage the paint. However, sticky tack is preferred, hanging track, bulletin boards, Velcro where there will always be a poster hung or as mentioned above hooks for hanging plants using fishing line.
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