Child Care Policies
The following policies govern Niagara Region's home child care program and are developed under the authority of:
- Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014
- College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
- Recognizing our Profession February 2011
- Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007
- Children’s Services, Niagara Region
External policies
Parent issues
The purpose of this policy is to provide a transparent process for parents / guardians, the home child care agency licensee and staff to use when parents / guardians bring forward issues / concerns.
The Regional Home Child Care Program is dedicated to ensure the delivery of high quality child care to all families.
Children should be in a healthy, safe, happy environment. Children's Services is committed to work in partnership with families to resolve any issues / concerns that they may have about their child's care.
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Parent issues definitions and policy
Definitions
- Concern / issue: if the parent has a situation they are anxious or worried about
- Complaint: an expression of grievance or resentment where a family is seeking redress or justice
- Licensee: The individual or agency licensed by the Ministry of Education responsible for the operation and management of each home child care agency it operates, such as the operator. The Regional Niagara Licensed Home Child Program is the licensee, and the home child care providers are contracted with the licensed agency.
- Home child care provider: The individual with which the home child care agency has established an agreement for the provision of child care in their home premises
- Staff: Individuals employed by the licensee, such as the home child care advisor
Policy
Parent issues / concerns policy and procedures must be reviewed with home child care providers, volunteers and students, home child care advisors and employees.
The Regional Niagara Licensed Home Child Care Program will provide clear and transparent information to parents / guardians, the community and staff on how issues / concerns will be managed and resolutions will be found. This will ensure that families have access to support and direction when attempting to resolve an issue / concern.
Parents / guardians are encouraged to take an active role in our home child care agency and regularly discuss what their child(ren) are experiencing with our staff and home child care providers. As identified by our program statement, we support positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents / guardians, home child care providersan d staff, and foster the engagement of ongoing communication with parents / guardians about the program and their children. Our home child care advisors are available to engage parents / gardians in conversations and support positive experiences
The home child care provider will not prohibit a parent from having access to their child or entering the premises when their child is in care, except when the parent has no legal right, if the provider believes on reasonable grounds that the parent could be dangerous to the children and/or if the parent is behaving in a disruptive manner.
Families can expect their issues / concerns will be responded to in a courteous, respectful and timely manner. All issues / concerns raised by parents / guardians are taken seriously by the Regional Niagara Licensed Home Child Care Program including advisors, supervisor and / or manager. Every effort will be made to address and resolve issues / concerns to the satisfaction of all parties and as quickly as possible.
Families can expect an initial response to an issue / concern within five business days from the home child care advisor, supervisor or manager, after becoming aware of the issue / concern. The person who raised the issue / concern will be kept informed throughout the resolution process.
At any time during the process the family may choose to involve an external agency such as the Ministry of Education, the College of Early Childhood Educators or Family and Children’s Services Niagara.
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Issue / concern against a home child care provider
Home child care advisors will maintain a record of parent issues / concerns on the "Family Issues / Concerns Log Form", which will be reviewed by the supervisor / manager, and in the Ontario Child Care Management System case notes. This form will be filed in the home child care provider file and the client file.
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Issue / concern against a Niagara Region employee, such as a home child care advisor
Supervisor / manager will maintain a record of the "Family Issues / Concerns Log" specific to employee, in the employee's electronic file.
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Issues / concerns against the Home Child Care Program
Supervisor / manager will maintain a record of the "Family Issues / Concerns Log", specific to agency, which will be reviewed by the director of Children Services, and stored electronically on the L drive.
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Confidentiality
Confidentiality must be adhered to throughout the issue / concern resolution process. Every effort will be made to protect the privacy of parents / guardians, children, home child care providers, other persons in the home child care premises, staff, students and volunteers, except when information must be disclosed for legal reasons, for example to the Ministry of Education, College of Early Childhood Educators, law enforcement authorities or Family and Children Services Niagara.
This means that the issue / concern should only be discussed by those people directly involved in the resolution process and / or governing bodies / agencies.
A copy of the policy and procedure regarding family issues / concerns are included in the parent handbook.
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Conduct
Our agency maintains high standards for positive interaction, communication and role modelling for children. Harassment and discrimination will therefore not be tolerated from any party.
If at any point a parent / guardian, home child care provider and / or home child care advisor, student or volunteer feels uncomfortable, threatened, abused, bullied or belittled, they will immediately end the conversation and report the situation to the home child care supervisor / manager.
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Steps to be taken by parent / guardian to report issue / concern
First point of contact (must always be the home child care provider or home child care advisor, depending on the concern)
- Parent / guardian to contact the home child care provider / home child care advisor to discuss the issue(s) / concern(s)
- Schedule a time with the home child care provider / home child care advisor to talk about your concern(s)
- Be prepared to make notes ahead of time about your concerns. Issues / concerns may be brought forward verbally or in writing.
- Be clear about what's being said. If you need clarification or have concerns about the provider's / home child care advisor's response, ask them to explain further.
- Responses and outcomes will be provided verbally, or in writing upon request
- A follow up meeting should be arranged if you feel it is necessary
- Investigation of issues / concerns will be fair, impartial and respectful to all parties involved. If you are unsatisfied or still have concerns you may want to then move to the second point of contact.
Second point of contact
- Family to contact the home child care advisor (about any concerns about the provider) by calling 905-980-6000 ext. 3194 to discuss the issues / concerns
- Issues / concerns may be brought forward verbally or in writing
- The home child care advisor will discuss with you next steps in response to your concerns which may include but are not limited to, a discussion with the provider, increase of visits, moving the child to another home, etc.
If you are unsatisfied, still have issues / concerns, or your concern is regarding a Regional employee you may want to then move to the third point of contact.
Third point of contact
- Family is to contact the program supervisor of Children's Services, Direct Operations by calling 905-980-6000 ext. 3874.
If you are unsatisfied or still have issues / concerns you may want to then move to the fourth point of contact.
Fourth point of contact
- Family is to contact the manager of Children's Services by calling 905-980-6000 ext. 3877
If you are unsatisfied or still have issues / concerns you may want to then move to the fifth point of contact.
Fifth point of contact
- Family is to contact the director of Children's Services by calling 905-980-6000 ext. 3876
Additional points of contact
If the parent has concerns about the licensed Home Child Care Program
You may make a complaint to the Ministry of Education, Licensed Child Care Help Desk:
- Telephone 1-877-510-5333
- Email childcare_ontario@ontario.ca
If the parent has issues / concerns about the home child care advisor and / or manager and / or if the provider is a registered early childhood educators
Complaints can be filed with the regulatory body of the College of Early Childhood Educators:
- Telephone 1-888-961-8558
- Email: info@college-ece.ca
If the issue / concern is related to a child in need of protection and / or concerns of suspected abuse or neglect
Contact FACS Niagara:
- Telephone 905-937-7731
- Everyone, including members of the public and professionals who work closely with children, are required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.
- If a parent / guardian expresses concerns that a child is being abused or neglected, the parent / guardian will be advised to contact the local Children's Aid Society, known as Family and Children Services Niagara
- Persons who become aware of such concerns are also responsible for reporting this information to Family and Children Services Niagara as per the "Duty to Report" requirement under the Child and Family Services Act
- For more information, visit Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
For environmental concerns
Contact Niagara Region Public Health
- Call 905-688-3762 or 1-800-263-7248
Safe arrival and dismissal policy
This policy and the procedures within help support the safe arrival and dismissal of children receiving care.
This policy will provide home child care providers, and Niagara Region home child care staff and students with a clear direction as to what steps are to be taken when a child does not arrive at the home child care premises as expected, as well as procedures to follow to ensure the safe arrival and dismissal of children.
This policy is intended to fulfill the obligations set out under Ontario Regulation 137/15 for policies and procedures regarding the safe arrival and dismissal of children in care.
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Accepting a child into care
The home child care provider is responsible for signing children in in the daily log as children arrive at the home premises where care is provided.
The home child care provider is responsible for ensuring any communication from parents / guardians related to drop-off or absences is noted in the daily log.
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Where a child has not arrived in care as expected
Parent / guardian responsibilities:
It is the responsibility of the parent / guardian to inform the home child care provider, no later than approximately one hour before their child's scheduled arrival time, should their child be absent for any reason. Parents are required to deliver this message using the preferred method of communication as decided with the home child care provider.
Home child care provider responsibilities:
1. Where a child does not arrive at the home child care premises and the parents / guardians have not communicated a change in drop-off, or that the child will be absent, the home child care provider must contact the child's parents / guardians approximately an hour after the child's scheduled arrival, or when the program safely allows.
Home child care providers shall contact the parents / guardians using the preferred method of communication as decided with the family, such as phone call with voice message, text, or email at least once.
2. If the child's absence has been confirmed, the home child care provider shall document the child's absence and any additional information about the child's absence in the daily log.
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Releasing a child from care
1. The home child care provider shall only release the child to the child's parent / guardian or another individual that the parent / guardian has provided written authorization that the child may be released to.
2. Where the home child care provider has never met the individual picking up the child, the home child care provider must ask the parent / guardian / authorized individual for photo identification and confirm that the individual's information matches what is documented in the child's enrolment form, or the written authorization provided by parents / guardians.
3. Parents / guardians understand that Niagara Region Children's Services recommends that children under 16 years of age do not pick up children from child care programs. However, if a parent or guardian chooses to have a child who is under 16 years of age but 13 years of age or older to pick up their child, the centre will release the child to the authorized individual. The "Release of child to person under age of 16 Form" must be completed. The parent / guardian is aware that the child care is no longer responsible for that child upon their dismissal. Identification is required upon pick up, such as a health card.
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Where a child has not been picked up as expected
Where a parent / guardian or authorized individual who was supposed to pick up a child from care and has not arrived, the home child care provider will:
Step 1: Make contact with parents / guardians or authorized individual
- Attempt to contact the parents / guardians or authorized individual approximately 15-30 mins past the child's scheduled pick-up time, or whenever program safely allows to establish pick up time either by telephone where a voicemail must be left, text message or email
- Activities and snacks, if applicable, will be offered to the child(ren) while they await pick up
Step 2: Contact emergency contacts
- Should no response be received from the parent / guardian or authorized individual within 30 minutes from point of contact, the home child care provider will contact the child's emergency contacts
Step 3: Contact Niagara Region's licensed home child care program
- Where the home child care provider is unable to reach the child(ren)'s emergency contacts they will phone Niagara Region's Licensed Home Child Care Program to provide an update of current situation. When contacting outside of Regional business hours, home child care provider will call dispatch. Refer to the After-Hours Emergency Process.
Step 4: Family and Children's Services
- Where the home child care provider is unable to reach the parent / guardian or emergency contacts as outlined in the child's enrolment form approximately an hour from scheduled pick-up time, the home child care provider shall proceed with contacting Family and Children's Services at 905-937-7731. The home child care provider shall follow direction provided by Family and Children's Services with respect to next steps. The home child care provider shall continue to update the Niagara Region Licensed Home Child Care Program of situation.
Waiting list
No child care centre shall charge or collect a fee or deposit for the placement of a child on a waiting list for admission in a child care centre or home child care agency.
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Waiting list definitions and policy
Definitions
- Niagara Child Care Registry - Database system where families will be waitlisted for child care at their choice of child care programs
Children Services, Directly Operated Home Child Care Program, will not charge parents a fee or deposit for the placement of their child on a waiting list for an unsecured spot in a regionally operated child care centre or home child care program.
This policy will be reviewed with home child care program staff, volunteers and students, home child care providers, persons who are ordinarily residents of the premises or regularly at the premises, implemented and monitored for compliance and contraventions in accordance with subsection 6.1 Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (see Home Child Care Licensing Manual Subsections 1.2 and 10.6).
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Waiting list procedure
Families that would like to be waitlisted for licensed home child care will:
- Submit an online application to the Niagara Child Care Registry
- Provide information about their family on the application form
- Place their child on the licensed Home Child Care waitlist
There will not be a charge or fee to be placed on the waitlist.
For help with the website, contact OneHSN Support at 1-888-722-1540 or support at support@OneHSN.com.
The home child care advisor or designate will contact the family to confirm receipt of the application and to determine next steps. For example, need for subsidized child care, date care needed, availability of child care space, etc.
Information will only be accessed by the home child care advisor or designate, home child care manager or designate and is password protected to ensure that the child’s information remains confidential.
Families may contact the Niagara Region Home Child Care Program directly with any questions that they may have about the waitlist for admission.
The waitlist policy will be included in the parent handbook and the complete policy will be provided to a family if specifically requested.