Policies

Gripes and Grievances

Not that you’ll ever have any :) but if you do please respect the following protocol:

If you have any questions or concerns please speak to the teachers or administrators as the situation dictates. If the situation is not resolved to your satisfaction you may discuss the issue with a board member or request that the issue be discussed at a monthly board meeting. All concerns will be heard, addressed and resolved, in keeping with the mandates as set out by our governing agencies.

If a board member is approached by a parent regarding a staff or programming complaint, the following procedure will be followed:

• The board member will suggest that the parent speak directly with the Centre Director.
• Or at the parent’s request, the board member will offer to speak with the Director on the parent’s behalf.
• Failing these options, the board member will bring the issue to the attention of the board at the parent’s request.

As it in everyone’s best interest to maintain harmony and good-will in the Centre, the Board of Directors reserves the right to ask a family to withdraw from the Centre should a parent’s behaviour be threatening or continually challenging to the staff, children or program.

Arrival Time

When children arrive for the day, staff will ensure that the child is able to attend the program and is free from any illness or communicable disease. If the child shows symptoms of illness, the staff will refer to the Medical Policy and ask the parents to take the child home until the symptoms have passed.

In order to allow time for your child to settle into the program and to maintain the continuity and smooth operation of the planned activities, please bring your child in by 9:30 a.m. Arrival after 11:30 is strongly discouraged as a transition directly to lunch and sleep time is extremely difficult for the children.

If your child has an appointment through the day or will be absent for the day please notify the teachers as soon as possible.  This allows the cook to obtain a more accurate count for lunches and snacks and assists us in planning our staffing needs.

Parking

The spaces at the front of the building are for short-term parent drop-off and pick-up. The “reserved” spots at the side of the lot are paid for by the staff and therefore should be available for their use. Due to the limited number of parent spaces, we ask that everyone be patience.

Do not park in the parking space for individuals with disabilities unless permitted to do so or you can expect to be ticketed by the Guelph police.

Clothing, Diapers and Toys

Please ensure an extra set of clothing is available for your child each day - creative experiences, outdoor play, mealtimes - can all result in the need for a change of clothing. Extra pants, shirts, underwear, socks should be kept in your child's cubby. For outside play provide a sweater, splash pants, snow pants, mittens, hat, as weather dictates. If in doubt, provide it all and we will dress your child accordingly. And remember: label, label, label!!

To help keep the Centre clean and dry, each child should have a pair of indoor and outdoor footwear. Slippers, sandals or shoes are welcome for inside. For outside play; shoes, rain boots or winter boots are recommended. We discourage the use of sandals outside as the children can trip more easily.

There is storage space in the classrooms for bags of diapers and your child's creams and change pads. If your child is low on diapers, creams, etc. a note will be placed on your child's cubby indicating it is time to stock up. As we are not permitted to rinse or launder dirty or soiled clothing due to Ministry regulations, such items will be bagged and placed in your child's cubby to be taken home and laundered.

You are welcome to leave a special sleep toy and/or blanket in your child's cubby for sleep time. At times children may bring a home toy to ease with transition and to share with others. Please note that staff are not responsible for missing toys. The Centre does not permit offensive or violent toys at any time.

Food

Lunch, morning and afternoon snacks are provided by the Centre. Menus are set in accordance with the Canada Food Guide. Our menu is reviewed annually at the time of licensing.

We do have some children with severe allergies and enforce a Centre policy that no outside food can be brought into the Centre. The exception to this is if your child has special dietary needs and is not able to eat what is on our menu. In this case, you should arrange with the cook or program staff to bring the food in with a complete ingredient list. On your child's birthday a special cupcake will be prepared in the kitchen for his/her afternoon snack.

Medication

We are able to administer prescribed medications when:

• It is in the original container
• It is labelled with the pharmacy instructions, doctor’s name, etc.
• It has not expired
• You have filled out and signed a “medication consent form”

Over the counter medications (e.g., Tylenol) can only be administered when accompanied by a signed and dated note from your doctor.   

Please refer to the “Medical Policy” for information on specific illnesses and exclusionary guidelines.

Care of a Sick / Injured Child

When a child becomes ill during the course of the day, staff are required to contact the parent to pick up their child as soon as possible.  All attempts will be made to remove the child from the program either with a staff member, Director or Supervisor in the office or parent lounge.  Please note that the centre does not have a ‘sick room’ for children and our best is done to accommodate any sick children while keeping in mind the health and safety of the rest of the children.

For minor medical accidents i.e. scraps, cuts, and bumps, staff will provide the appropriate first aid and an accident form will be filled out.  The parents will not be called unless the staff feel the injury requires non-emergency medical attention.  If a child does require immediate medical attention due to injury or illness, the staff will call 911 and the child will be transported to the hospital accompanied by a staff member.  The parents will be notified by staff or management regarding the situation.

If your child has a life – threatening allergy/illness please advise management and fill out the necessary forms and provide any medication needed.

Weather Policies / Outside Play

See also Inclement Weather / Snow Day Policy and Procedures.

Payment of Fees

Parents will receive an invoice in their mailbox at the end of the month indicating fees due for the following month. Payments are due in full on the first Friday of each month. For example, at the end of September you would receive an invoice for October fees with payment due the first Friday in October. No refund is made for statutory holidays, absences due to holidays, illness or for any other reason. One receipt for child care expenses is issued at the end of each fiscal year.

Payment can be made by cheque or money order to “CCCCG”. A locked “fee drop box” is located on top of the mailboxes. Please do not give payments directly to the staff.

Parents who are eligible for provincial fee subsidies should speak with the Director for policy specifics.

Other Fees, Fines and Penalties

Deposit

$200.00 payable upon acceptance of a space (per child). Refunded at time of withdrawal provided that two months written notice of withdrawal is received and your account is paid in full. ($20.00 per key is deducted in the event your security key is not returned.)

Co-op Fee

A $2.00 fee required for our co-operative status payable upon acceptance of a space (per family).

Late Payment Fee

$25.00 if monthly fee payment is not received by 5:30 on the due date.

Late Pick-up Fine

The Centre closes at 5:30 and all children should be dressed and off the premises by that time. If late, you will be asked to sign the late fine book by a staff member. The charge is $5.00 for the first minute, and $1.00 for each subsequent minute. If in disagreement, please speak with the Director; the teachers are simply doing their job

NSF Fee

$20.00 fine for any cheque returned marked “not sufficient funds”.

Missed Meeting Fines

As a member of the co-operative, attendance by one parent at parent meetings is required. The fine for absence is $20.00 or $10.00 with regrets. If 3 meetings are missed within 1 year, the fine will be $50.00 and you may be asked to leave the centre.

Parent Involvement Fine

$100.00 for the first term, $200.00 for the second term and $300.00 for the third consecutive term missed. The family must complete 3 consecutive terms before the fine is lower to $100.00.

Child Care During Meetings

childcare is available at the Centre for the duration of a parent meeting at a cost of $5.00 per child. Parents must sign up prior to the meeting.

Withdrawal / Changes to Scheduled Attendance

Parents are required to give two months written notice of withdrawal. If notice is received and your account is paid in full, your $200.00 deposit will be refunded on your child's last day. In the event that your security key is not returned $20.00 (per key) will be deducted from your deposit refund.

Please note that two months written notice is also required in the case of requests for changes to your child’s scheduled attendance. That is, if you wish to switch from full-time to part-time care or the reverse, this notice period is required.

What You Can Expect From Us

Our primary goal is to provide the safest, happiest, and developmentally appropriate environment for your child. All activities are planned based on sound theories of early childhood education. Outside each room is a bulleting board listing the daily schedule, activities that have been planned, what actually happened (‘cause it doesn’t always go as planned!), eating and sleeping info, and any other pertinent information. Each room also has a memo board for daily reminders, staff shifts, etc. Monthly programming calendars are also made available to you as well as white boards outside each classroom where you will find important reminders and notes.  

Communication between parents and staff is key to a successful child care arrangement. Recognizing that drop off and pick up times can be busy times of the day and therefore not always a good opportunity to discuss your child, you are always welcome to request one on one time with staff. Upon such a request a mutually convenient time can be set up to meet.

Part of our role is to be available to you as a resource ... don’t hesitate to ask lots and comment lots. We are thrilled to have you join the Campus Child Care Co-operative of Guelph and thank you for sharing your child with us. We will all benefit from the journey!

Inclement Weather / Snow Day Policy and Procedures

Closure prior to the opening of the Centre

If inclement or severe weather occurs prior to the opening of the centre, the Snow Day Committee will make a collective decision based on the specific criteria outlined below.  Once a decision has been made to close the centre, staff will proceed to follow the staff tree to inform all staff members of the closure.  Management will also change the voice messages at the centre and announcements will be made on the local radio station Magic FM 106.1 as soon as possible.  The responsibility lies with the parents to either call into the centre for updates or listen to the local radio station.

Closure of the centre during normal operating hours

If the centre is open and weather conditions quickly deteriorate, the staff and management will ask parents to wait at the centre until we can ensure that proper ratios are in effect prior to the parents leaving.  Management will continue to monitor and assess the conditions and take into account the safety of staff and families in returning home.  In the event that Management determines that the centre must close during normal hours of operation, parents will be called and required to pick up their children as soon as possible.

Please be aware that if the centre is closed or should close prior to regular closing hours, there will be no reimbursement or credit of childcare fees.

Criteria Used to Determine a Closure

• The Upper Grand District School Board is closed
• No City of Guelph buses in operation
• Staff unable to make a safe drive to work
• No power or water at the centre

Important Numbers to Remember

• Director’s Office – 519-826-6927
• Main Office – 519-822-1280
• Radio Station 106.1 Magic FM – 519-824-7000

Criminal Reference Check Policy

Implemented July 8, 2005

Standard

Effective March 1, 1995, all agencies funded or licensed by the Ministry of Community, Family and Children’s Services providing direct service to children, including Child Care are required to have criminal reference check policies and procedures in place.

Policy

Campus Child Care Co-operative of Guelph requires that all applicants (for positions who have direct contact with the children, including but not limited to employees (Early Childhood Educators, cooks, Teachers Assistants) participating parents, students and volunteers must undergo a criminal reference check.  Staff that started their employment prior to March 1, 1995 are not required to have a Criminal Reference Check on file. 

Procedure

1. The applicant, when a resident of the City of Guelph, must attend the office of the City of Guelph Police Service to complete the application for Police Records Check form.  Any payment required will be the responsibility of the applicant.
2. The police will conduct a record search through the Canadian Police Information Computer system based on the information provided on the consent form.
3. The applicant will be contacted by the city of Guelph Police Services when the Records Check is complete and asked to arrange a time when it can be picked up.  The applicant shall then submit a copy of Police Records Check to the Supervisor or Director.  To be acceptable, a police records check must be dated no earlier than one month prior to the date it is submitted by the applicant.
4. If there is a delay in the Police Records Check report coming back from the police, and if for some reason the applicant must start work before it is received, this individual’s hiring is conditional on the receipt of the report, and subject to current policies regarding acceptance and exclusion of staff.

Exclusion of Applicants

Campus Child Care Co-operative of Guelph understands its obligation to Section 5, paragraph (1) of the Ontario Human Rights Code, which prohibits discrimination against an individual for purposes of employment by reason of a pardoned Criminal Code conviction or a standing conviction for a provincial offence.  This agency will not discriminate against an individual in this situation , unless there is a bona fide reason related explicitly to the position being applied for, and with due consideration given to the need to accommodate applicants where possible.

Individuals with outstanding Criminal Code convictions, five years old or more recent, or charges pending, for certain offences will not be accepted by this agency for a direct service position with vulnerable clients.  These offenses include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

1. Physical or sexual assault
2. Current prohibitions or probation orders forbidding the individual to have contact with children under that age of fourteen
3. Offenses under the Child and Family Services Act relating to abuse of children
4. Outstanding convictions or charges pending for any offense deemed violent, whether or not it involved weapons.

Individuals may be excluded from positions within this agency as a result of other information gained during the police records check and/or through the screening process as a whole, or as a consequence of other factors identified through the screening process.  The applicant has the right to know why he or she is being refused, and may appeal to the Board of Directors for a review of the matter.

Confidentiality Issues

To guard the confidentiality of personal information, the following policies will apply:

1. A copy of the Criminal Reference Check will be kept in the individual’s personnel file in a locked cabinet for the duration of the applicant’s employment with Campus Child Care Co-operative and only accessible by the Administration.  Information from this check will only be used in the process of determining if an applicant is suitable for a specific position and to meet requirements of the Day Nurseries Act.  Confidential information is shared with Board members only if it is necessary to the performance of the individual's essential duties.
2. All copies of Police Record Checks of unsuccessful applicants will be immediately destroyed.
3. All copies of Police Record Checks for staff no longer employed or students/volunteers whose placement has ceased will be destroyed upon termination.

High School Students

Photocopied CRC from students coming from a recognized institution are permitted.

Conditional Employment

Conditional job offers may be necessary during the time it takes to obtain the CRC.  Individuals that produce a receipt for their criminal reference check may be allowed to start their position or volunteer immediately.  These individuals will at no time be permitted to be alone with the children until the CRC has been submitted.  If within eight weeks from the date on the criminal reference check receipt a criminal reference check has not been submitted to the centre, privileges will be severed until a CRC has been produced. 

Formats Accepted

We will accept originals of the CRC or a photocopy.  The Director or Supervisor may take a photocopy from the original and record on the front of the CRC “true copy of the original” including the current date along with the signature of the Supervisor or Director and a witnesses signature.

Volunteers

Volunteer Criminal Reference Checks will be considered valid for 1 year from the date on the CRC.  This means that if a volunteer has obtained a CRC within the last year we will consider it valid as long as we see the original.  Volunteer CRC’s will remain valid with the centre as long as the volunteer continuously volunteers with the centre.  If more than 1 year passes since an individual has volunteered, that individual must apply for another CRC to volunteer again.

Parent Volunteers

Criminal Reference Checks from parents who wish to volunteer will remain valid from the date on the CRC through the duration of their time with the centre.  If a parent leaves the centre and then joins again later with a sibling a new CRC will be required.

* For parents who are already attending the Campus Child Care Co-operative:  If you still have the original copy of a CRC that has been done between the time your child started at the Child Care and now we will accept that as a valid CRC.