Welcome

Starting Day Care may be a new experience for both child and parent.  At Children’s Village Day Care Centre, we provide a stimulating program designed to meet the needs of both the child and the family through a learning environment rich in experiences to engage children in active, creative, and meaningful exploration, play, and inquiry.

Children’s Village is licensed annually by the Ministry of Education (MEDU).

Standards are guaranteed by the adherence of the Child Care & Early Years Act.

Children’s Village is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of eligible members of the Corporation.

 

Children’s Village Day Care has enrolled in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system which will:

·       Give families access to more affordable and high-quality childcare options

·       Help lower childcare fees for parents of children under the age of 6

·       Increase childcare spaces

·       Support the childcare workforce

·       Support inclusive childcare

 

Philosophy

At Children’s Village Day Care, we believe that positive experiences in early childhood set the foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour, health and well-being.

 

Program

Our program is designed around the foundations of belonging, well-being, engagement, and expression.  Our child-centred curriculum is designed to encourage and enhance the natural curiosity of children in a safe, nurturing

environment.  Our qualified staff of RECE’s will provide play experiences that will invite children to investigate, imagine, think, create, solve problems, and make meaning from their experiences.

PROGRAM STATEMENT

At Children’s Village Day Care, we provide a quality program designed to meet the needs of both the child and the family through a rich learning environment. We follow “How Does Learning Happen?  Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years (2014)” as the guiding document under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014.

Our curriculum offers child-initiated experiences, activities, and events that occur within an inclusive environment designed to foster children’s well-being, learning, and, development.   Our staff of RECE’s strive to be organized around the foundations of belonging, well-being, engagement and expression in children where the goals and expectations integrate the 6 guiding principles of “Early Learning for Every Child Today”

·       Responsive Relationships

·       Learning through exploration and play

·       Educators working with children as co-learners

·       Setting up the environment as the third teacher

·       Pedagogical documentation

·       Reflective practice and collaborative inquiry

We use a play based learning approach to create the best learning environment for children to learn and grow.  This allows children to learn in a way that is appropriate for them.  Each child may choose activities based on their own interest, giving them opportunity to be creative.  The environment is full of materials that are clean, safe and accessible for the children to explore.    Materials in the room are rotated regularly to allow for children’s changing    areas of interest.

Children are competent, capable, curious and rich in potential

Our environment “the third teacher” is set up to meet the children’s needs to become independent by allowing free choice of play materials.  The children are encouraged to be self-reliant in routines such as dressing, toileting, washing, eating and tidying up their play materials.

Children thrive in indoor and outdoor spaces that invite them to investigate, imagine, think, create, solve problems, and make meaning of their experiences.  Our first and most important goal is to inspire delight, curiosity, and inquiry in the classroom. Our goals are consistent with the “How Does Learning Happen?” document

·       Every child has a sense of belonging when he/she is connected to others and contributes to their world

·       Every child is developing a sense of self, health and well-being

·       Every child is an active and engaged learner who explores their world with body, mind and senses

·       Every child is a capable communicator who expresses him/herself in many ways

To foster learning and support the children’s interests we offer a variety of daily activities such as language, numeracy, music, outdoor play, science and nature, creative, dramatic play, blocks and construction, fine and gross motor.

Our program is designed to:

·       Builds intrinsic motivation

·       Encourage children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their ability to self-regulate

·       Foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry

·       Provide child initiated and adult supported experiences

·       Offer opportunities to create relationships with others in the program

Our staff are committed to building connections with the children by:

·       Being at the children’s level for face-to-face interactions

·       Using a pleasant, calm voice and simple language while making eye contact

·       Providing warm, responsive physical contact

·       Following the child’s lead and interest during play

·       Helping children understand expectations by providing simple but clear explanations

·       Taking the time to engage children in the process of resolving problems and conflicts

·       Redirecting children to areas of success during challenging moments

·       Fostering thoughtfulness and caring by listening to children and encouraging them to listen to others and share ideas

·       Genuinely acknowledging children for their accomplishments and effort by clearly saying what it is they have done well

Children’s Village works with families and children as a team.  We foster collaborative and cooperative relationships between children and adults.  We provide a sense of belonging for children and their families in our program by providing positive communication both through our HiMama program and in person.  We value families as experts who know their children best.

Whenever possible Children’s Village works collaboratively with community partners such as our local library, the public health unit, and other community programs (local fire department, police department, veterinarian, etc) to meet the best interests of the children.

We provide healthy meals and snacks and establish a positive eating experience that is responsive to the child.  Our menu follows the Canada’s Food Guide and we are committed to meeting the individual needs of the children when it comes to allergies or special diet restrictions. Our menus can be viewed on the parent board in the foyer, on our website and is sent to parents daily through the HiMama program.

We see educators as knowledgeable, resourceful, and rich in experience and we value the environments they create for the children.  Our staff offers a warm, positive learning environment and see themselves as co-learners to enhance the child’s ability to explore, and to offer assistance when needed.  Majority of our full-time staff working with the children have completed the Early Childhood Education program and are registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators.  All program staff attend mandatory professional meetings and are committed to continuous learning.  All staff are given the opportunity to work closely on pedagogical documentation both individually and as a team effort to extend the children’s learning.  Our staff make daily observations of children in the program and use this information to enlighten their future planning.  The staff develop programs that support early learning following the child’s lead and curiosity.

Prohibited practices

 

Ontario Regulation 137/15

 

(1) No licensee shall permit, with respect to a child receiving child care at a child care centre it operates or at a premises where it oversees the provision of child care,

(a) corporal punishment of the child;

(b) physical restraint of the child, such as confining the child to a high chair, 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 child care centre or home child care 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. 137/15, s. 48; O. Reg. 126/16, s. 34.

(2) No employee or volunteer of the licensee, or student who is on an educational placement with the licensee, and no person who provides home child care or in-home services at a premises overseen by a home child care agency shall engage in any of the prohibited practices set out in subsection (1) with respect to a child receiving child care. O. Reg. 51/18, s. 19.

 

CHILD CARE POLICY FOR VOLUNTEERS AND STUDENTS

Direct unsupervised access is not permitted for persons who are not employees of Children’s Village Day Care unless prior written permission is provided by parents.

Placement students and volunteers may not be counted in the staffing ratios.

Program Statement and Policies must be reviewed with volunteers and students who will be providing care and guidance before they begin and annually thereafter.

Students and volunteers must obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check as set out in Policy on Criminal Reference check or in the case of a student under 18 years of age an offence declaration must be signed.

Individual plans for anaphylaxis and the emergency procedures are reviewed by students and volunteers prior to working with the children.

No child is supervised by a person less than 18 years of age.

This policy is to be reviewed annually.

Admission Policy

An interview will be arranged to familiarize you and your child with the Day Care,

meet the teachers, answer questions and complete the admission forms prior to enrollment.  A non-refundable registration base fee is also required and can be paid at this time.

Arrival and Departure

Young children depend on regular routines for their own sense of security.  We recommend that you establish fixed hours to drop off and pick up your child.  The parent (or parent designate) is responsible for undressing the child, hanging up the child’s belongings, and presenting the child to the teacher in the appropriate classroom.  At this time, please pass on any messages regarding medication, illness or information regarding pick up of your child.  Similarly, when picking up your child ensure that staff knows you are leaving.  Unless otherwise arranged, children will not be released to any person other than those specified on the admission form.

 

Sleep Policy

Children’s Village Day Care follows the guidelines set out by the Joint Statement on Safe Sleep which requires that infants under the age of 12 months be placed on their backs to sleep unless their physician provides us with documentation stating otherwise.  You can find The Joint Statement on safe sleep on the Canada.ca website or you can request a paper copy from the office.

All children who sleep regularly will be assigned an individual cot or crib that is labelled.  We ask that you provide your child’s sleep preferences or instructions to be documented and provided to the classroom staff.  Staff perform periodic checks of EACH sleeping child during the rest period.  Any significant changes in a child’s sleeping pattern or behavior will be documented and the parents will be informed of these observations through HiMama.

Health and Administration of Drugs

The Child Care and Early Year’s Act requires that prior to admission, each child must be immunized as recommended by the local Medical Officer of Health.

The Day Care will administer prescription drugs to the children in accordance with Provincial Regulations.  This requires that parents provide:

1.     A medication administration form must be completed and signed by the parent/guardian which includes written authorization, including the

dosage and the times any drug is to be given.  It is the responsibility of the            parent/guardian to inform the program staff of any medication to be administered.

2.    Medication in the original container, clearly labelled with the child’s name, name of the drug, date of purchase / expiration, and instructions for storage and administration of the drug. (note: we are only able to dose by age (not by weight) therefore if that is a recommendation from your physician please provide us with a note from your doctor and your child’s weight)

3.    Medication is not to be left in the child’s cubby; it must be given to the teacher. (This includes any lotions or creams that may contain a medical ingredient)

 

Illness

We try to minimize the occurrence of sickness by regularly disinfecting all toys, isolating children with suspicious symptoms and practicing good hygiene for both staff and children.  To maintain a good standard of health, a daily health check is made as required by the Child Care and Early Year’s Act.  It is necessary to have suitable arrangements in the event of illness.  The parent will be contacted immediately to pick up the child.  A child cannot return to the centre until he or she is ready to participate in all aspects of the program, including outside activities.  We follow “A Guide to Common Childhood Infections” provided by Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit, this guide is available on our website and a hard copy is available in the office.  Parents are to keep their children at home if they display any of the following symptoms:

·       Fever which could also be accompanied by any of the following symptoms

·       Diarrhea (three or more in one day)

·       Vomiting

·       Rash / skin condition

·       Communicable disease

·       Obviously infected discharge (especially eyes)

·       Persistent pain

·       Head lice (adults or eggs)

Ill children must be separated from other children until picked up.  A doctor’s note may be required for admission back into the childcare (at the discretion of the Supervisor)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside Play

Children are given the opportunity for outdoor play for a minimum of 2 hours per day, weather permitting.  Please provide appropriate outdoor clothing for your child.

The following guidelines and procedures will be used for outside times in extreme cold weather or extreme heat.

Temperatures will include wind chill and humidex readings.

Cold Weather

-5 to – 10 degrees Celsius

Time limit    45 – 60 minutes with sunshine         30 – 45 minutes if overcast

-10 to – 15 degrees Celsius

Time limit    30 – 45 minutes with sunshine          20 – 30 minutes if overcast

-15 to -20 degrees Celsius

Time limit   20 – 30 minutes with sunshine            15 – 20 minutes if overcast

Humid Weather

28 to 30 degrees Celsius

Time limit     45 – 60 minutes if overcast               30 – 45 minutes with sunshine

30 to 40 degrees Celsius

Time limit     30 – 45 minutes if overcast               15 – 20 minutes with sunshine

 

 

Staff Responsibilities

Please ensure that the children have appropriate clothing for the weather, and the staff will dress them accordingly.

The staff will observe the children to determine the comfort levels of the children and shorten outdoor times if necessary.

Fees

Invoices are created on Monday for that particular week, they are due the following Saturday.  Fees can be paid directly through the HiMama app either manually or with auto pay, we also accept e-transfer for payment to info@villagedaycare.com, or cheques payable to “Children’s Village Day Care.”  Any cheques returned NSF will be charged a non-base fee of $25.00 as a penalty.  If payments are more than two weeks in arrears, we will no longer accept your child in our program until full payment has been made.

Statutory Holidays

Children’s Village will be closed for the following holidays:

New Year’s Day     Family Day        Good Friday        Victoria Day        Canada Day       Civic Holiday       Labour Day       Thanksgiving Day            Christmas Day     Boxing Day

REGULAR FEES WILL BE CHARGED FOR THE ABOVE DAYS.

CHILDREN’S VILLAGE DAY CARE WILL CLOSE AT NOON ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND WILL RE-OPEN AFTER NEW YEAR’S DAY (Jan. 2 or the next business day thereafter if New Year’s falls on the weekend) PARENTS WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR THE DAYS THE CENTRE IS CLOSED OTHER THAN THE REGULAR STATUTORY HOLIDAYS

Hours of Operation

Children’s Village Day Care is open from 6:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Monday to Friday.  Late fees will apply if your child is not picked up prior to 5:30 P.M.  A late non-base fee of $10.00 for every 10 minutes after 5:30 P.M. will be charged.  If your child has been late more than 3 times child care may be discontinued.

Late Departures

For parents who are late picking up their child after 5:30 PM the following steps will be taken by the staff on duty:

At 5:35 the staff will attempt to contact the parents at work and home.  If parents cannot be reached, staff will call the emergency contacts to pick up your child.

If no contact has been made at 6:00 PM the staff will contact the police for assistance (check accidents, hospitals etc.) then the staff may contact Chatham Kent Children’s Services, Children’s Aid to provide care for your child.

Withdrawal Procedure

Children’s Village Day Care is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all children in our care.  In partnerships with the families, Children’s Village work to ensure the individual needs are met.  When issues of concern arise, expressed either by staff or family the parent and supervisor will meet to assess strategies, services and supports in response to the issue of concern.  If Children’s Village is not able to accommodate the requests or needs of the family the following procedures will be taken:

·       All verbal and written communication with the parent and program staff will be documented indicating the date, issue of concern, actions and strategies that were put in place to resolve the concern.

·       The executive director along with the supervisor will determine our capacity to provide the required service.

·       The Municipality of Chatham Kent, Children’s Services Division will receive notification from the Executive Director that the child has been withdrawn or denied service with rationale and actions.

·       The family will be provided with 2 weeks written notice to find alternate care, unless the behavior/situation threatens the immediate safety of either children or staff in the Centre.

 

 

Schedules

All schedules or changes in regular schedules are due by 5:00 PM Thursday for the next week.  After this time space will not be guaranteed and will be subject to availability.  Staff schedules are completed Friday morning and no changes which require any change of staffing will be granted.

Ages of Children

Children’s Village Day Care Centre has facilities to accommodate infants (0 – 18 months), toddlers (18 to 30 months), and preschool (31 months to 5 years).   We also provide limited care for children older than 5 attending elementary school depending on the availability of space.

Nutrition

A weekly menu is posted on the parent information board in each classroom.  A full nutritional meal is provided as well as a morning and afternoon snack which promotes good eating habits and follows the Canada Food Guide.

Children’s Village strives to provide an allergen safe environment; therefore, no tree nuts, peanuts or peanut products or eggs are to be brought into the Centre.

Food that has not been purchased and prepared by Children’s Village Day Care will not be allowed in the Day Care unless

·       Food is nut/peanut free and must state that it was produced in a nut free facility in original packaging.

·       No homemade treats will be allowed unless they are prepared by Children’s Village staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Exposure to Anaphylactic Allergens
The following strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to anaphylactic causative agents must be followed at all times by employees, students and volunteers at the child care centre.

·        Do not serve foods where its ingredients are not known.

·        Ask the caterer or cook to provide the known ingredients for all food provided. The ingredients will be reviewed before food is served to children to verify that causative agents are not served to children with anaphylactic allergies.

·        In cases where a child has food allergies and the meals and snacks provided by the child care centre cannot meet the child’s needs, ask the child’s parent to supply snacks/meals for their child. All written instructions for diet provided by a parent will be implemented.

·        Establish a hand washing routine before and after meals

·        Teach all children of the risk reminding them not to share food and to eat only off their own lunch plate.

·        In cases where the food is served in the classroom that contains allergens (ex. Milk) ensure that ALL staff follow the protocol for children with Anaphylaxis.

·        Ensure that parents label food brought to the child care centre with the child’s full name and the date the food arrived at the child care centre, and that parents advise of all ingredients.

·        Encourage parents who serve foods containing allergens at home to ensure their child has been rid of the allergens prior to attending the child care centre (e.g. by thoroughly washing hands, brushing teeth, etc.)

·        Do not use craft/sensory materials and toys that have known allergens on the labels.

·        Share information about anaphylaxis, strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to known allergens and treatment with all families enrolled in the child care centre.

·        Make sure each child’s individual plan and emergency procedure are kept-up-to-date and that all staff, students, and volunteers are trained on the plans.

·        Refer to the allergy list and ensure that it is up to date and implemented.

·        Update staff, students, and volunteers when changes to a child’s allergies, signs and symptoms, and treatment occur and review all updates to individualized plans and emergency procedures.

·        Update families when changes to allergies occur while maintaining the confidentiality of children.

·        Update or revise and implement the strategies in this policy depending on the allergies of children enrolled at the child care centre.

 

Clothing

Please ensure that your child has

1.    a complete change of clothes to stay at the Day Care

2.    Outdoor clothing, weather appropriate and labelled

3.    Running shoes or slippers

4.    A small blanket for rest time.

 

Communication

Our staff attempt to communicate with each parent concerning daily activities.  If you have any questions regarding your child’s progress, please feel free to ask.  We use the HiMama program to advise you about current and upcoming events, changes in policy and special activities happening at the Day Care.

We also are able to provide digital updates on your child to keep you informed on everything from nutritional information to fun moments and learning activities.  If you are unable to receive HiMama updates, please inform us and we can provide you with paper copies at the end of each day.

 

Change of Information

Please keep us informed of any changes in contact information, address, and

telephone numbers of all contact persons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emergency Management Policy

Children’s Village Day Care has Emergency Management Policy and Procedure.  This policy is reviewed by all staff prior to employment and annually thereafter and emergency drills are practiced twice yearly.

In the event of an emergency evacuation, Supervisor and staff will notify parents/guardians of the emergency situation, evacuation and location to pick up their children.  Where possible, the supervisor will update the child care centre’s voicemail box as soon as possible to inform the parents that the child care centre has been evacuated, and include the details of the evacuation site location and contact information in the message.  The local radio station may also be contacted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children’s Village Day Care is enrolled in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Program giving families access to more affordable and high-quality childcare options.

Registration:  At the time of registration, we ask an initial registration base fee of $12.00

Plus a base fee of $10 for a security tag ($15 non-base fee for replacement if lost) These fees are non-refundable.

BASE FEES:      INFANT             TODDLER                 PRESCHOOLER

WEEKLY           $96.85                            $94.50                        $92.15

DAILY               $19.37                             $18.90                       $18.43

HALF DAY        ----------                           $12.17                      $12.00

MINIMUM REGISTRATION IS TWO FULL DAYS PER WEEK.  INFANT ROOM IS FULL TIME REGISTRATION ONLY.

LATE FEES:  Late fees will apply if your child is not picked up prior to 5:30pm.  A late (non-base) fee of $10.00 for each 10 minutes after 5:30 pm per child will be charged and is to be paid directly to the staff that has worked overtime with your child.  If your child has been late more than 3 times child care may be discontinued.

HOLIDAYS:  The Day Care will be closed for the following Holidays:

New Year’s Day    Family Day        Good Friday        Victoria Day        Canada Day        Civic Holiday

Labour Day     Thanksgiving Day   Christmas Day    Boxing Day

REGULAR FEES WILL BE CHARGED FOR THE ABOVE DAYS.

CHILDREN’S VILLAGE DAY CARE WILL CLOSE AT NOON ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND WILL RE-OPEN AFTER NEW YEAR’S DAY (Jan. 2 or the next business day thereafter if New Year’s falls on the weekend) PARENTS WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR THE DAYS THE CENTRE IS CLOSED OTHER THAN THE REGULAR STATUTORY HOLIDAYS.

ABSENTEE POLICY:  Because our expenses remain the same, we regret that we cannot reduce fees in weeks that your child may be absent.  Extended absences will be dealt with at the discretion of the Administrator.

VACATION POLICY:  There will be a waiver of fees for two weeks’ vacation purpose during each 12 month period.  This waiver is contingent upon prior written notice.  Your 12-month period begins the month that your child is enrolled.

TERMINATION POLICY:  We require that you advise us in writing two weeks prior to withdrawal of your child.  If this is not done, you will be required to pay two weeks from the date of notification.

PAYMENT OF FEES:  Invoices are created on Monday for that particular week, they are due the following Saturday.  Fees can be paid directly through the HiMama app either manually or with auto pay, we also accept e-transfer for payment to info@villagedaycare.com, or cheques payable to “Children’s Village Day Care.”  Any cheques returned NSF will be charged a $25.00 penalty (non-base fee) .  If payments are more than two weeks in arrears, we will no longer accept your child in our program until full payment has been made.