Program Statement
Little Lambs Gathering
Day Care Program Statement
Little
Lambs Gathering Day Care strives towards providing the highest quality child
care. At Little Lambs Gathering Day care
we view our centre as a family-like environment and strive towards creating a home-like
atmosphere where the children are cared for with respect and nurtured by our
dedicated educators.
Children
at our Centre experience a complete holistic approach to child care that is
meant to incorporate care that meets the need of children emotionally,
spiritually, physically and mentally. A variety of play based learning
activities that allow children’s exploration, play in an environment rich
content that encourages the children to make their own choices. Indoor play and outdoor play are also part of
the child’s daily experiences. We also have time for a rest period, individual
and group play that supports each child’s needs.
We
recognize that each child is competent, capable, curious, and rich in
potential. Our program further supports this by allowing children to learn to
become self-reliant. Providing a space
that supports each child’s unique abilities to grow and develop to their
maximum potential.
Program
goals, consist with the Ministry of Education pedagogy How Does Learning Happen,
include
- Every
child has a sense of belonging and 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 the world with body, mind,
and senses. - Every
child is a capable communicator who expresses himself or herself in many ways.
At
Little Lambs Gathering Day Care we encourage and foster positive interactions
and relationships between the child, educator and families. In order to provide the best possible care,
it is our belief that there needs to be constant communication between the
parents/guardians and the educators.
Community partners also add an enriched learning experience through
field trips and community contact.
Our
Educators and staff ensure an ongoing commitment to the safety and well-being
of the children by taking extra precautions and being diligent in their roles
as primary caregivers of each child. Nutritious snacks and meals are prepared
daily and are offered in the morning, lunch and afternoon snacks. Children also
have access to clean drinking water at all times and parents/guardians are
encouraged to provide snacks for in classroom time.
Parents
and teachers will have an opportunity to meet twice per year to discuss their
child’s progress and review the documented observation notes. Once at the
beginning of the year and once at the end of June.
Programs
- Toddler
Program = 4 Toddlers 18 – 30 months - Preschool
Program = 13 Preschoolers 31 – 5 years - Before
and After school Program = 10
Days & Hours of
Operation
The
Daycare is open all year round, Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
except for two weeks in December for Christmas Break and one week during the
summer months for professional development. Each child enrolled will have a
designated arrival and departure time.
Arrival & Departure
Time
Young
children depend on regular routines for their own sense of security. Fixed
arrival and departure times are necessary to maintain legislative child and
staff ratios. It is important that staff be aware of designated arrival and
pick up times. Unless otherwise arranged, children will not be released to any
persons other than those specified on the registration form. If a child is
going to be late, absent or parent is delayed in arriving for departure time,
the staff must be advised. Parents arriving later than their scheduled pick up
time will be charged $5.00 for each five minutes starting after their scheduled
departure time. Non-Working parents must pick up their children before 3:30p.m.
Admission & Discharge
The
enrolment procedure will include an initial interview where parents and child
can become familiar with the Daycare; complete admission forms and ask questions.
A registration fee of $20.00, copy of health card and immunization record for
each child will be included with the completed registration forms.
Two
(2) weeks written notice will be required to withdraw a child permanently from
the program. Space will not be guaranteed for a child in the program should
he/she be withdrawn on a temporary basis. Services will be terminated if policies
are not followed if fees are not paid or irregular attendance occurs
consistently. If a child is absent from
the program for 2 consecutive weeks without a valid cause, they will be
discharged from the program.
Parents/Guardians
of newly enrolled students will be expected to accompany their child for the
first few days of attendance. Parents are more than welcome to accompany their
child for however long they feel comfortable with.
Nutrition
A
nutritious breakfast, a hot lunch and an afternoon snack are served daily. A
menu will be posted so that you are aware of your child’s diet. Our cook must
follow the Canada’s Health Food Guide when preparing meals. Teaching children about
making healthy food choices will ensure good physical development in their
growing years. Independence is encouraged at lunchtime. Children may be
encouraged to taste new foods that they may not be familiar with. Often
children find that will enjoy the new foods.
Children’s special dietary needs and allergies are posted in the kitchen
area for the cook and staff to view.
Personal Health
When
working with children, every possible measure must be taken to make ensure
personal hygiene practices are followed. Children are very susceptible to
illness and infection if extra care is not taken. Staff are asked to wash hands
after each diaper changing and before serving meals.
All
staff and children attending daycare are required to have up-to-date
immunization.
To
enhance the children’s knowledge and skills when it comes to personal hygiene,
themes are incorporated into the program. Through these themes such as
community helpers, my healthy body, nutrition, etc., the children will learn at
early age the importance of practicing healthy habits.
Development
The following are some of the areas that your child(ren) will learn:
- Developing
a trusting and secure relationship so the child can successfully separate from
his/her parent. - Feels
secure enough to enter freely into activities that offered in the room - Encourage
emotions so that a positive self-image is developed - Child
will develop his/her cognitive and intellectual skills while attending our
centre. Skills such as: listening, taking turns, co-operating, observing,
negotiating and gaining the ability for decision making. - Academic
skills will be enhanced by learning and singing the alphabet, know basic shapes
and numbers. Other skills that will be learnt are cutting with scissors,
holding a pencils/crayons, drawing and coloring.
To
meet our objective, well-planned programming is set up by each individual
teacher. The following activities will be included in their activities, circle
time, arts & crafts, dramatic play, sand/water play, story time, free and
outdoor play. Our program is flexible in offering the children their choice of
play and theme. We try to build learning based on what the interest of each
child. It also offers a sense of routine to create trust and a sense of
security. Outdoors, the children will have opportunity to select from a variety
of different equipment options that will assist with his/her physical growth and
muscular development.
Health of Children
If
you notice that your child is not feeling well, and is displaying signs and
symptoms that he/she is sick, to avoid the spread of the viruses, we ask that
you please keep your child at home. If your child comes to the centre and
appears to show signs of ill health, you will contacted immediately to pick up
your child. If you cannot be reached, the emergency contact person listed will
be called.
Please
watch for the following symptoms
- Watery,
inflamed eyes or eyelids - Glazed
appearance of eyes - Deep
cough - Inflamed
nostrils - Unusual
irritability - Rash,
sores, flushed appearance, clamminess, pallor, or other unusual conditions of
the skin - Contagious
diseases - Running
temperature - Vomiting
or diarrhea
If
a child becomes sick during the day
- Parents/Guardian
will be notified for pick up - The
child will be kept comfortable until parent/guardian arrives - Incident
will be recorded in the daily log book - Once
a parent/guardian is contacted, they will have no more than 30 minutes to pick
up a sick child. After 30 minutes, a late fee of $5.00 will be charged.
A
general rule for determining whether or not a child is well enough to attend
school is their ability to cope with a full day of programming which includes
outdoor/gym play (approximately 1 hr. in the morning and 1hr in the afternoon).
Clothing
Every
child attending daycare should have at least one spare change of clothing in
their cubby at all times. Please make sure that your child has warm clothing
when coming to the Daycare. As during the spring, summer and fall months, we
will be going for walks and playing outside weather permitting. Clothing sent
should be according to seasonal changes.
All
children will need to have a pair of non-marking indoor shoes to wear while at
daycare.
Supplies
Parents/Guardians
will be notified when their child’s supply of diapers or wipes needs to be
replenished. A note will be posted in
your child’s cubby letting you know what supplies need to brought in.
Discipline
Children
will be disciplined in a positive manner at a level that is appropriate for
their age level and comprehension. No child shall be belittled or made to feel
bad about themselves. Spanking and other physical discipline are NOT permitted.
Teachers
will intervene when a child displays behavior that will:
- Injure
or harm themselves - Injure
or harm other children - Destroys
other children’s property - Destroys
daycare property
In
cases where a child harms another child, a report of the event will be
documented. The child that hits/bites/throws toys with intent to harm will be
spoken to by the teacher and removed from the class through time outs. If the
undesired behavior continues and cannot be corrected, the child may be removed
from the Daycare Program until he/she is able to control undesired behaviors.
The Child Care and
Early Years Act states criteria on discipline procedures, which are prohibited
practices: staff, parents and/or visitors shall not:
- Corporal
punishment of a child; - Physical
restraint of the child, such as confining the child to high chair, car seat,
stroller or other devices for the purpose 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; - Locking
the exits of child care centre or home child care premises for the purposes of
confining the child, or confining the
child in an area or room without adult supervision, unless such a confinement
occurs during an emergency and is required as part of the licensee’s emergency
management policies and procedures; - Use
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; - Depriving
the child of basic needs including food, drink, shelter, sleep, toilet use,
clothing or bedding; or - Inflicting
any bodily harm on children including making children eat or drink against
their will.
Staff
are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that appropriate behavior
management practices are used at all times.
If
any parent or guardian has a concern or question, you are encouraged to see the
Daycare Administrator who will be more than happy to assist you. It is the
responsibility of the Administrator to provide follow up for parents and
guardians when necessary.
Duty to Report
Please
be advised that we have a duty to report any suspicion of abuse regarding the
children in our care to the Kunuwanimano Child & Family Services at
705-463-1049.
Daycare Closure
On
all statutory holidays
- New
Year’s Day - Family
Day - Good
Friday - Easter
Monday - Victoria
Day - Canada
Day - Treaty
Day - Aboriginal
Day - Civic
Day - Labor
Day - Thanksgiving
Day - Aboriginal
Veteran’s Day - Christmas
Day - Boxing
Day - Designated
Professional Development Days - Power
& Water Outages
In the event of heating or electrical failure, the Daycare
Administrator will contact parents and notify of Daycare Closure.
Fees
A monthly daycare fee of $40.00 is due by 1st of
each month. If payments are done through payroll deduction, a signed copy must
forwarded to the administrator. Failure to comply with payments will result in
late charges and withdrawn of services if payment is not received after 5
working days.
Admission
Priority
Priority
1: Two full-time working parents or
Single full-time working parent/Full-time
Student(s)
Priority
2: Two-part time working parents
Priority
3: One working parent with one
parent at home
Priority
4: Non-working parent (s)
Other
considerations: In the event of a change
of status of the parent with work or school, it is the parent’s responsibility
to notify the Daycare Administrator.
The
Daycare has limited spaces for child care, in the event that a working parent
or student requires services, children in the program that have childcare
available at home may be asked to withdraw from the program.
There
is a required registration fee of $20.00 that is to be paid in full to the
Administrator before the child is able to begin the program.
Wait List Policy
Little
Lambs Gathering will follow the steps listed below for families who are placed
on its waitlist.
- A
child is placed our wait list once a completed registration package and policy
agreement has been dated, signed and received from Little Lambs Gathering
Daycare. - Children
are categorized on the list based on the date of initial contact and the type
of care required. (Toddler/Preschool/Afterschool) - Priority
is given to the progression of children from program to program. - Priority
of a space will be offered to as follows:
Priority 1: Two Full-Time working
parents/guardians or Single Full-Time working parent/guardian
Priority 2: Two Part-Time working
parents/guardians
Priority 3: One working parent/guardian with
one parent/guardian at home
Priority 4: Non-Working parent/guardian
In event of individuals under the same
priority, the space will then be offered to the individual whose application
was first received.
- No
fee or deposit is collected to place children on or keep their place on the
waitlist. - It
is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to keep their contact information
current and to confirm their waitlist spot every three months. - When
a space becomes available, parents/guardians are called in order of the
placement on the waitlist. If a parent refuses a space, the next
parent/guardian is contacted until the space is filled. - A
list of where your child is on the waitlist will be provided upon request. The names of the other children waiting will
be kept confidential and not released.
Open House
The
Centre has an open door policy and welcomes parents/guardians for visits any
time except during naptime which is from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Open
houses are held sporadically throughout the year. Parents and Guardians will
receive notices of events in their child’s cubby.
Field Trips
Occasionally,
the children may go on field trips into Hearst. In the event of a planned field
trip your child’s teacher will provide you with a consent form that will need
to be signed and returned. The consent form will have the date of the field
trip, time of departure and arrival and where the children are going. Parents & Guardians are always welcome to
come on field trips. Parents and Guardians are not permitted to smoke while on
any field trip excursion.
Student and Volunteer
Supervision Policy
Little
Lambs Gathering Daycare encourages volunteer and student involvement in the
programs. However, volunteers/students do not replace employees and will not be
used to eliminate or displace paid positions. Only Employees will have direct unsupervised access to
the children. In accordance with
LLGD policies, volunteers/students are oriented to their position, supported in
their work, adequately supervised and recognized for their contributions to
LLGD.
Procedures
in respect to volunteers & students
- Little
Lambs Gathering Daycare Polices will be read, understood and signed off prior
to starting. - Behavior
Management policies and procedures are reviewed with volunteers or students who
will be providing care or guidance and at least annual afterwards. - Criminal
Reference and Vulnerability Sector Checks are to be submitted prior to starting - Supervision
by volunteers and students – No child is supervised by a person under 18 years
of age. Volunteers and students may not be counted in the staffing ratios.
Roles
& Responsibilities of Volunteers & Students
- Assist teachers with basic child care, monitoring of children for safety as they go about their daily activities
- Listening and playing with children, offering comfort when needed and assisting with resolving minor spats and squabbles
- Assist with the preparation, serving and cleanup of snacks and meals
- Follow all organizational policies and procedures
- Communicate with full-time staff and volunteers of ongoing facility, program and client needs
Expectations
- Be
polite and respectful at all times - Treat
staff, other volunteers, children and parents with dignity, consideration and
courtesy. - Respectful
of everyone’s right to privacy - Communicate
with and follow the direction/guidance of staff - Report
accidents and incidents to program educator immediately - Bring
any idea’s, concerns or issues to Daycare Administrator